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Real Estate • May 6, 2020

How to Successfully Buy Your House During COVID19

by Windermere Whidbey
Buying a home during Covid 19

Serious Buyers

Serious Home Buyre working with Windermere Real Estate, virtual tour safe from home during covid19

For those buyers who are actively searching Active home Buyers Searching for a new homefor a home be prepared to follow local, state and the National Association of Realtors offers guidelines for looking at homes safely with tips like:

  1. Buyers wash their hands Serious sellers, have serious buyers wash hands before entering the home, safety precautions, Covid 19or use an alcohol-based sanitizer Hand Sanitizer before entering the home and again after leaving.
  2. Cover shoes with booties. covers shoes with booties before entering a home, Covid 19, Stay safe
  3. Wear facemasks. Wear a face mask
  4. Clean Serious Sellers, Clean down surfaces before buyers enter and after they leave all surfaces prior to entrance and again after.
  5. Sellers will hopefully open doors open doorand turn on lights Turn lights on for buyers prior to potential buyers entering to reduce the need for them to touch surfaces.

These requirements may stay in effect for some time so if you are ready and willing to buy a home with a trusted professional who has your best interest in mind and are taking the lead on this new eras, approach to home buying then let’s connect so we can help you navigate your move through this uncertain time.

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Real Estate • May 5, 2020

How to Successfully Sell Your House During COVID19

by Windermere Whidbey

A New Era in Marketing Your Home

woman with mask stays home and plays with son during covid19

Considering the recent chain of events surrounding the stay at home orders due to COVID19, it is more important than ever to be working with an agent that has a successful online marketing strategy and an effective digital game plan.

Since you are reading this you are already headed in the right direction. Let’s keep going!

Here at Windermere

Real Estate Agent Working

Not only are our agents equipped with the most up to date tools and resources available but they are the most talented professionals in our industry and backed by the strongest brand in the whole Pacific Northwest.

The Utmost Importance

Windermere Whidbey On the Web

During the stay at home order, it is of the utmost importance to provide potential viewers with a detailed and thorough view of your home safely online since it is difficult to see in person.

Our agents have always been dedicated to ensuring your home stands out from the rest by providing the highest quality photography and video walkthroughs available. Our agents are well versed in creating maximum online exposure through virtual open houses & tours providing additional focus on the home’s details and answering questions that buyers relocating to the area will have. Windermere agents did this long before COVID-19 and are give Sellers maximum exposure to buyers and maximum safety for the Sellers. Working with a Windermere Whidbey agent means the following:

  1. Access to the best photographers.
  2. The know-how and experience to shoot personalized video tours and hold virtual open houses.
  3. The know-how to market appropriately in COVID-19 times, in a timely fashion, safely, and deliver the greatest exposure.
  4. The ability to video chat with potential clients.

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Whidbey island, Shows Filmed on Whidbey

Uncategorized • April 27, 2020

Must-Watch‌ ‌Movies‌ ‌and‌ ‌Shows‌ ‌Filmed‌ ‌on‌ ‌Whidbey‌ ‌

by Windermere Whidbey
Whidbey island, Shows Filmed on Whidbey

Real Estate • Things to do on Whidbey • April 20, 2020

COVID19 Puzzle Contests – #HASHTAGS Word search

by Windermere Whidbey

Windermere Real Estate Whidbey Island COVID19 Word Search

  1. Download the #HASHTAGS Word Search by clicking here 
  2. Complete it
  3. Send a picture of it completed to WhidbeyCommunications@Windermere.com
  4. Include a note saying if we can use your picture on our social media (share your social profile name if you want to be tagged if you win).
  5. Be entered to win a $25 gift card to Rock Island Coffee
  6. Winner will be announced April 27, 2020

 

 

 

Places • April 7, 2020

Take a Trip Virtually and Discover our Beautiful World

by Windermere Whidbey

Select one of the following amazing places to discover the world beyond the livingroom. Begin your virtual tour today.

Lion, San Diego Zoo, Virtual Tour, Zoo, Animals , Stay at Home, Covid 19

San Diego Zoo: The San Diego Zoo has a website just for kids with amazing videos, activities, and games. Enjoy the tour!

Explore Mars, Things to do , Virtual tour, Learn about our world, space

Explore Mars: Explore Mars on the Curiosity Rover. They are updating from WEBVR to WEBXR now, but 360 Mode offers a digital view!

Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, National Park, Visit, Virtual Tour, Stay at Home, Covid19

Yellowstone National Park: Mud Volcano, Mammoth Hot Springs, and so much more. Take a tour of Yellowstone National Park today!  

Monterey Bay Aquarium, Aquarium, Virtual tour, Stay Home, Learn from Home, Watch from afar

Monterey Bay Aquarium: Be delighted by the antics of our sea otters or mellow out to the hypnotic drifting of our jellies. With ten live cams to choose from, you can experience the wonder of the ocean no matter where you are. 

Panda Cam At Zoo Atlanta, Virtual tour, COVID 19, Stay home, explore safely, learn from home

Panda Cam At Zoo Atlanta: We know the pandas bring you joy, and in these extraordinary times, we’re glad. 

Animal Cams at Houston Zoo

Animal Cams at Houston Zoo: Tune in to the Houston Zoo Webcams and enjoy a live look at animals that call the Houston Zoo home! See the herd of Asian elephants wander through their enormous habitat. Watch as giraffes nibble lettuce fed to them by guests at the feeding platform; you could join them on your next visit. See the rhinos roll in their mud puddle or the flamingos float next to a waterfall. See the chimpanzees interact with guests at their window or snooze in a hammock. 

Virtual farm, Farm Animals, Joy during Covid19, Stay home, stay safe

Virtual Farm: This Canadian site FarmFood 360 offers 11 Virtual Tours of farms from minks, pigs, and cows, to apples and eggs. 

U.S. Space & Rocket Museum

U.S. Space & Rocket Museum: See the Saturn 5 Rocket on YouTube and more on this tour thanks to a real father/son outing.  

Social Emotional Skills

Social Emotional Skills: Through the eyes of their peers, we will introduce students to the key pillars of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness, relationship skills. 

STEM Manufacturing, Robotics, Virtual tour

STEM Manufacturing: Take a virtual tour of Arconic’s Advanced Manufacturing hub in Alcoa, Tennessee and learn about the exciting ways robotics and digital technology impact the skills needed to succeed in Advanced Manufacturing. 

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China: Experience the Great Wall of China like never before! This Virtual Tour is beautiful and makes history come to life. 

Boston Children's Museum

Boston Children’s Museum: Walk through the Boston Children’s Museum thanks to Google Maps! This virtual tour allows kids to explore 3 floors of fun. 

Polar Bears and the tundra

Polar Bears and the Tundra: Come experience the tundra and polar bears with Polar Bears International and Discovery Education! We are just outside of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, in the heart of polar bear action

The Louvre, Virtual Tour, Explore

The Louvre: Travel to Paris, France to see amazing works of art at The Louvre with this virtual field trip.

Uncategorized • March 25, 2020

How to Beat Cabin Fever

by Windermere Whidbey
Cabin Fever, Stuck Inside, Woman sitting on couch with red pillow, looking out the window, board

How to Beat Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever, Stuck Inside, Woman sitting on couch with red pillow, looking out the window, board

As our country and community marches on in the fight against COVID19, it has been amazing to see people stepping up and reinventing their lives to help stop the spread. Although social distancing is by far the most effective way of protecting yourself and your loved ones, I think we can all agree it is getting a bit dull. 

 

Cabin fever is hard enough to deal with in the cold darkness of the winter but in the middle of this beautiful spring?! It’s understandable to be restless and eager to get out.

 

To help you fight the Quarantine Cabin Fever we have developed a list of 5 things to keep up your spirits.  

 

 

  • Pull Out a Good Book (or 2)

 

Almost everyone has that list of books they keep saying they are going to read someday. Today is the day! With the normal busyness of day to day life placed on hold, what better time to dig into the pages of that novel or self-betterment book?

 

Need a suggestion on a good book? Try reading something by local author Robert Elmer! His stories are packed full of history, adventure, and action. The perfect thing to entertain you for hours on end!

 

 

  • Start Spring Cleaning

 

We know, not the most exciting activity. However, it is probably the one future you will appreciate the most. Post quarantine you aren’t going to want to spend MORE time secluded in your home getting it ready for summertime entertaining. So get a jumpstart on the game and start cleaning/decluttering now.

 

Not sure where to start? Download this FREE Printable Decluttering Checklist by Making Lemonade to make sure you don’t miss anything. 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

  • Call Friends and Family

 

Sometimes when we’re down in the dumps we can forget there are so many in the same boat (especially right now). This time of isolation is the perfect opportunity to reach out to friends and family you might not have talked to in a while – especially grandparents! If you’re wanting a little more than just to hear their voice; below is a list of video calling apps you can connect with others on. 

 

  • Take a Free Online Course 

 

Maybe for you, this time away from others is actually just an opportunity for personal growth! Personal growth could be emotional, spiritual, or intellectual. Right now might just be the perfect time to pick up an online course or two. 

 

Don’t have the funds for tuition? Corsera is an online educational facility partnering with world-class instructors to make online learning more accessible. They have hundreds of free courses you can sign up for TODAY. 

 

We personally suggest signing up for Dr. Laurie Santos’ course on The Science of Well-Being.

 

 

  • Get Outside

 

To be clear, this does NOT mean meeting up with your friends for a picnic at the park or joining a group on a hike. Getting outside is extremely important right now to help fight off the depression that can happen from being cooped up; however, outside isolation should still include social distancing. Going on a solitary walk down the street or a stroll to the beach might be just the thing you need to keep your spirits up. However, if you see a neighbor, friend, or any other person be sure to keep the 6-feet-rule. 

 

Not sure what 6 feet really looks like? This CNN article has some helpful and amusing images that could help! 

You might also be interested in community resources available to you during this time:

together, Covid19, stay safe, resources

 

 

Places • Things to do on Whidbey • March 14, 2020

Whidbey Family Resources During COVID-19 Closures

by Windermere Whidbey
Whidbey Resources, CoronaVirus

Whidbey Family Resources During COVID-19 Closures

Whidbey Resources, CoronaVirus

Many working parents with young children are scrambling to reassess the next 6 weeks and putting plans in place to keep kids healthy and learning while still earning necessary income. This is going to be a trying time for everyone but families with 2 working parents are facing a particular logistical headache. There are options out there and below is a collection of what is available…

 

Child Care:

Daycare, Kids, Whidbey island, Coronavirus

Boys & Girls Clubs are offering more than 50% off child care and reduced transportation fees. Fill out the application and find out more via the following links.

Oak Harbor Boys & Girls Club 

Coupeville Boys & Girls Club 

High School and College Students are out of school as well and might be looking for child care work. The going rate for long term child care is anywhere from $7-$15 an hour depending on how many kids, their ages, responsibilities, driving required, etc. When screening babysitters this article might come in handy. https://www.care.com/c/stories/6753/babysitter-interview-questions/

 

Short Term Homeschooling:

mom and daughter, teaching, learning at home

If you are finding yourself staring down the tunnel at 6 weeks of homeschooling when this has never been a part of your plan it can feel daunting. Here are three tips that may help.

1. Create Structure through a Schedule: 

Having a schedule that everyone can refer to and count on will help things from getting out of control. Here is a simple schedule we like.

2. Use the Online Resources at Your Fingertips: 

Thank goodness we live in the digital age and that we still have the internet through this. We highly recommend Prodigy Game for keeping kids 1-8th grade on track with their math. Looking for a daily curriculum and content to guide your academic time at home? This Scholastic site has set up day by day themed learning opportunities at four different age levels for free! https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

We would love to hear what you recommend and be sure to check out this long list of free or discounted resources! http://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/

3. Stay Positive & Create Community:

This too shall pass and you can choose to either wallow in the negatives or focus on all the silver linings! Since we are all in this together on Whidbey be sure to reach out to your fellow families, whether you have a previous relationship with them or not. Times of trial can bring people closer together in very authentic ways. Being outside is the safest way to convene and with some beautiful Spring days planning a walk with just a few families might be the perfect way to brighten everyone’s day. Want to learn more about outdoor opportunities? 

Visit these posts…

Geocaching on Whidbey Island

Parks in Oak Harbor

 

Events • Real Estate • March 13, 2020

Matthew Gardner

by Windermere Whidbey
Matthew Gardner, Report, Stats, Economics

Matthew Gardner

Matthew Gardner, Report, Stats, Economics

Did you know that Windermere Real Estate is one of the only brokerages to have it’s very own in-house economist?

 

Matthew Gardner is Windermere’s Chief Economist and is responsible for analyzing and interpreting current economic data and the impact it will have on the real estate market. Matthew is a huge asset to the Windermere name and on March 12th Whidbey Island Windermere was lucky enough to have him give a presentation on our local market that was recorded and made available to all. Matthew addressed questions such as the following:

 

How will COVID19 affect the market? 

Does the current oil shock have any effect on real estate?

Are we in the middle of a real estate bubble?

When is the next recession? Will my home value plummet?

Is the housing and income gap still growing?

What’s the market like in MY area?

Matthew Gardner Housing Forecast Whidbey Island from Windermere Real Estate on Vimeo.

 

In the recorded presentation below Matthew gives answers to all of these questions and more with his in-depth and comprehensive review of the current and projected state of the Whidbey Island real estate market. If you have questions after watching the presentation don’t hesitate to give your local Windermere agent a call!

Real Estate • March 12, 2020

How to Protect Yourself When Listing/Buying During the Coronavirus Epidemic

by Windermere Whidbey
Sanitizer

How to Protect Yourself When Listing/Buying During the Coronavirus Epidemic:

A note from our Branch Manager/Co-Owner, Kristen Stavros

typing, Branch Manager, Co Owner, Windermere Real estate, Whidbey Island

There is no doubt the Coronavirus has left us feeling uneasy with numerous unknowns and fear of what-ifs.

To curb those feelings lets discuss some of the things we do know & can control.

1. If you have been thinking about selling your house, NOW IS THE TIME! We are currently experiencing a period of low supply yet high demand, couple this with interest rates still below 4% which means more buying power for buyers and you have a recipe for the perfect time to list!

2. If you are looking to buy a home this is still an excellent time with incredibly low-interest rates.

3. If you have a mortgage, NOW IS THE TIME TO TALK WITH YOUR LENDER ABOUT A REFINANCE or perhaps sell and upgrade. There are a couple different housing markets at play right now. Your Windermere Whidbey agent can counsel you on the right move for your individual goals.

For Those of You Listing or Considering Listing Your House…

Here are some recommendations:

A. Leave all room doors open so Buyers don’t have to touch door handles.

B. Put a dish by the front door or on the kitchen counter for business cards to be left in (so you do not have to touch the cards that Brokers are required to leave behind).

C. Have a  bottle of sanitizer at the entrance of your home for visitors to use before they enter your home.

D. After the home is shown, wipe down all door handles inside and out, starting with the front door.

For Buyers and their Agents…

A. Review recommended practices with agent/client before showing.

B. Don’t touch anything unnecessarily, sneeze into a sleeve, wash/sanitize hands before and after, etc.

C. Sanitize hands after handling lockbox and carry anti-microbial wipes.

D. Refrain from placing business cards anywhere a Seller might have to touch them to throw them out.

 

 

 

Places • Things to do on Whidbey • March 10, 2020

Best Places on Whidbey For Whale Watching

by Windermere Whidbey
Whidbey Island, Whale viewing, best places to spot a whale

Discover the Best Places to Whale Watch

Whidbey Island, Whale viewing, best places to spot a whale

When it comes to natural wonders, Whidbey Island is unbelievably blessed. With expansive undeveloped areas, nine state parks, and views that take your breath away, it’s hard to imagine it could get any better. 

 

But it does!

 

In addition to our incredible outdoor opportunities for explorers, we are one of the few places in the world where land-dwellers have an opportunity to get a glimpse of some spectacular mammals of the sea. Puget Sound’s cold and nutrient-rich water makes it the perfect place for whales to roam. Although you could spend the money to board a whale-watching boat and find the mammals out on the water, boats aren’t always required when you’re on Whidbey. 

 

Below are the top 5 places to see whales from land on Whidbey!

 

West Beach

At the west-most point of Oak Harbor lies a stretch of beach beloved by wanderers and sea life alike. With wide-open views and miles of ocean just off the shore, it’s not hard to see why West Beach is one of the best places to see whales near Whidbey.  

 

Penn Cove 

The nutrient-rich water of Penn Cove cultivates a thriving ecosystem for small and large sea life. It’s this sea life in the form of ghost shrimp and fat seals that attracts the attention of gray whales and transient Orca alike. It’s not uncommon for the residents of Penn Cove to see a gray whale’s tail break the surface of the water as they dig in the mudflats for shrimp or a full-on chase between a stealthy Orca and a seal.

 

Hidden Beach

What this public beach lacks in amenities it makes up for with view and privacy. On a sunny day, beach-goers have the opportunity to see Camano Island sitting peacefully across the Saratoga Passage and – if they come at just the right time – maybe even a whale!

 

Lagoon Point

Just north of this charming seaside community is a county park boasting nothing more than public access to the Lagoon Point community beach. Luckily access to the beach is really all you need to catch a glimpse of traveling orcas or scavenging grey whales. 

 

Seawall Park

Hidden below the streets of downtown Langley is a quaint little park with beautiful art, well-maintained landscaping, and a spectacular view of the Saratoga Passage. Onlookers often have the wonderful treat of seeing a whale pass or even watch them feed in the massive ghost shrimp beds. If you do, don’t forget to ring the Whale Bell!

 

Bonus: Your own back porch?

Can you say “waterfront property”? Yes, please! Our beautiful island has many waterfront homes and properties with beautiful views of Puget Sound. How amazing would it be to sip coffee on your own patio while enjoying pods of orca passing by or gray whales feeding on the beach right in front of you? If this sounds like your dream, give us a call today!

Now, remember, if you do see a whale you should report it to the Orca Network! Reporting sightings to the Orca Network helps with scientific efforts and helps other whale watchers like yourself!

 

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