Blog | Tom Fine's Blog, Fine Homes NW, Inc. - Tom Fine

Tom Fine's Blog

2021 Home Trends

Ready for a fresh start in 2021? With home still the place to be, refreshing your indoor and outdoor living spaces can make a big difference in your everyday life. The stresses and challenges of 2020 have influenced the trends of 2021 with a turn toward comfort, nostalgia and independent spaces to work and play… […]
Tom Fine's Blog

How Did Seattle Real Estate Fare in 2020?

Our local real estate market overcame all odds in the surreal and tumultuous year laid at our doorstep. Despite many economic woes, home sellers were the big winners in 2020 as too few homes for sale could not keep up with increased buyer demand, leading to the most aggressive multiple offer bidding wars […]
Tom Fine's Blog

Safe Holiday Events Around Seattle

Have some holiday cheer, 2020 style! While traditional gatherings may be off the table, you can still make the most of the season with a new take on these favorite local events. Safety is foremost with virtual platforms or a combo of social distancing & mask protocols. Just be sure to reserve your tickets early […]
Tom Fine's Blog

Give Back This Season

In his poem, When Giving Is All We Have, Alberto Álvaro Ríos wrote, “We give because someone gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us.” With need especially keen this year during the pandemic, many of us […]

Tom Fine's Blog 2021 Home Trends Ready for a fresh start in 2021? With home still the place to be, refreshing your indoor and outdoor living spaces can make a big difference in your everyday life. The stresses and challenges of 2020 have influenced the trends of 2021 with a turn toward comfort, nostalgia and independent spaces to work and play… […]

Tom Fine's Blog How Did Seattle Real Estate Fare in 2020? Our local real estate market overcame all odds in the surreal and tumultuous year laid at our doorstep. Despite many economic woes, home sellers were the big winners in 2020 as too few homes for sale could not keep up with increased buyer demand, leading to the most aggressive multiple offer bidding wars […]

Tom Fine's Blog Safe Holiday Events Around Seattle Have some holiday cheer, 2020 style! While traditional gatherings may be off the table, you can still make the most of the season with a new take on these favorite local events. Safety is foremost with virtual platforms or a combo of social distancing & mask protocols. Just be sure to reserve your tickets early […]

Tom Fine's Blog Give Back This Season In his poem, When Giving Is All We Have, Alberto Álvaro Ríos wrote, “We give because someone gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us.” With need especially keen this year during the pandemic, many of us […]

Tom Fine's Blog Q3 2020 Reports: Market Update The volume of Q3 transactions made up for Q2’s fewer sales and then some. Truth be told, the market could have absorbed twice the number of transactions, if only there were more homes on the market to sell. Too few homes for sale is the defining character of the Q3 Seattle region real estate […]

Tom Fine's Blog Home Buying Trends Emerging from COVID-19 Coronavirus has made many of us rethink what is important to us…and our homes are no exception. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the top feature desired by buyers is now a home office (or even more than one). 22% of buyers are less concerned about their commute, which means homes in affordable […]

Tom Fine's Blog Interest rates make a BIG difference when you buy… You probably know that interest rates affect your monthly mortgage payments, but most of us aren’t aware of just how big an impact they really have on a home loan. Each 1% change in interest rate equates to roughly a 10% change in buying power. This means you can qualify for a much more […]

Tom Fine's Blog Q2 2020 Reports: Market Update Q2 was a story of resilience for the Seattle market. It began with our region fully entrenched in a new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but ended with a strong seller’s market and historic low interest rates. Buyers have returned in droves to battle for the limited supply of homes for sale. With a […]

Tom Fine's Blog Payback times for energy-efficient home upgrades Thinking of going green? Today’s technology offers a whole host of ways to boost your home’s efficiency, reduce your carbon footprint and lower your energy bills. Some upgrades can pay for themselves in a relatively short amount of time, while others with large price tags might take decades to start paying back. The good […]

Tom Fine's Blog How to Buy and Sell Safely in the New Normal While buying and selling real estate was recently deemed essential in Washington State, the landscape looks very different than it did before the COVID-19 outbreak. Real estate offices remain closed to the public with agents (like me) working remotely and hosting virtual client meetings. Important safety regulations prohibit in-person open houses and limit the […]

Tom Fine's Blog Q1 2020 Reports: Market Update As we are fully entrenched in a new normal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to note that the Q1 stats you see are based on pre-coronavirus closed sales activity and therefore largely untouched by our current market reality. While Q1 serves as a pre-coronavirus benchmark, Q2 and Q3 will more accurately […]

Tom Fine's Blog Economic Insights from Matthew Gardner As we all hunker down through these challenging times, it is comforting to remember that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. A voice of calm and reason in this time of uncertainty has been our Windermere Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner. While he is expecting an economic slowdown accompanied by a […]

Tom Fine's Blog COVID-19 Resources Make Working From Home Work for You… 5 Small Things You Can Do to Improve Your Home Office WRE’s “Work from Home” Spotify playlist Working remote tips from Time Magazine Staying productive during the coronavirus while managing stress/anxiety/fear Making the perfect office to work from home Kids at Home? Information about how to […]

Tom Fine's Blog 2020 Home Trends With 2020 now in full swing, we’re seeing some clear shifts in how homes are being designed and decorated. Most notable for our area is the Modern Farmhouse trend with its juxtapositions of old & new, light & dark, and clean & rustic. Softer grey and lagom neutrals are here to stay, but are […]

Tom Fine's Blog Remodeling Cost vs. Value Every year, Remodeling Magazine evaluates which projects bring the most return at resale in different markets around the country in their “Cost vs. Value” report. While returns have dipped nationwide due to growing costs and consumer anxiety, Seattle still saw better pay-off on remodeling than the national average. The chart below shows cost vs. […]

Tom Fine's Blog Annual Seattle-Eastside Real Estate Report: A Look Back at 2019 A strong local employment sector, very low mortgage interest rates, and the most balanced market we’ve seen in two decades each contributed to increased sales velocity in 2019. While the number of homes for sale increased overall in 2019 as compared to 2018, the higher rate of sales throughout the year resulted in […]

Tom Fine's Blog 2019 Holiday Happenings in the Seattle Area Our Northwest holidays may be wet, but they’re still bright! Make the most of the season with Seattle favorites—such as dazzling light displays and the Parade of Boats—along with newer additions like the “Enchant” event with light mazes and ice skating inside T Mobile Park. Scroll down for all the details… WildLights at Woodland […]

Tom Fine's Blog Give Back This Season Looking to share your bounty this holiday season? Below are some of our favorite Seattle-area organizations who can use your time, household items, toys, and more to help improve the lives of homeless and low-income families in our area. You might also check out these tips on how to make the most of charitable […]

Tom Fine's Blog Q3 2019 Reports: Market Update Q3 was the most stable and balanced market we have seen in years. With very low mortgage interest rates compelling buyers to act and fewer homes for sale than we saw last fall (when a flood of homes came to market), buyers and sellers are each finding their own place in a more equitable […]

Tom Fine's Blog Planning for the Life Expectancy of Your Home Nothing in life lasts forever – and the same can be said for your home. From the roof to the furnace, every component of your home has a lifespan, so it’s a good idea to know approximately how many years of service you can expect from them. This information can help when buying or […]