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Wildfire Preparation and Evacuation Tips
This article originally appears on the Windermere Real Estate Blog, here.
Written by Sandy Dodge
Wildfires cause chaos for homeowners. Though they are destructive, with the right preparation, you can ensure that you and your household have a plan in case of an emergency. Many homeowners insurance policies cover damage caused by wildfires, but check with your insurance agent to make sure. The following tips are meant to inform your household’s wildfire evacuation protocol, whatever your evacuation timeline may be.
Wildfire Preparation: Immediate Evacuation
Evacuation orders come from local law enforcement agencies, but if you have not received an official evacuation notice and feel threatened by wildfires in your area, do not hesitate to leave. Take only essential vehicles on the road, this will minimize traffic and reduce the chance of gridlock when evacuating the area. Keep the windows rolled up to avoid inhaling smoke and tune into local radio for updates as you head toward safer ground. Don’t forget your masks and remember to bring the six P’s:
- People and pets
- Phones and personal computer
- Chargers, any additional computer hardware
- Papers and important documents
- Birth certificates, passports, insurance, legal documents
- Prescriptions
- Medication, eyeglasses, contacts
- Pictures and irreplaceable keepsakes
- Payment (credit & debit cards, bank cards, cash)
It helps to have a “go bag” or portable kit packed ahead of time if and when a wildfire breaks out. In it, you’ll want to keep a list of essential items in case you’re away from your home for a while. Include the following items in your go bag:
- Face masks or coverings
- Extra clothing
- First aid kit
- Toiletries
- Tools
- Flashlight
- Batteries
- Sanitation supplies
- Copies of important documents
- Three-day supply of food and water
Wildfire Evacuation Preparation
If you live in an area that is not being evacuated, there are steps you can take now to prepare your home and family, if and when the time comes. These tasks can help to discourage fires from spreading closer to your home and hopefully salvage some household items.
- Create a “defensible space” by clearing your home’s surroundings of brush and vegetation
- Turn off sprinklers and main gas lines
- Clean out roof and gutters
- Move furniture away from windows toward the center of the room
- Remove flammable household items
- Prepare your emergency kit
- Include essential items listed above
For more information about wildfires and indoor air quality, visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. Be sure to check your local news and emergency alert radio stations and social media profiles for the most up-to-date information and helpful resources.
Wildfires are unpredictable. Knowing what to do both in preparation for and during an emergency evacuation will have your household prepared in the event that a wildfire spreads to your area, neighborhood, or home.
Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: Daniiielc
Turnkey vs. Fixer-Upper: Pros and Cons
This article originally appears on the Windermere Real Estate Blog, here.
Written by Sandy Dodge
The beauty of real estate is that different properties satisfy different needs. Although single-family homes are great for putting down roots, that may not be your motivation for purchasing your next home. If you’re looking to buy a property with the intent of renting it, both turnkey and fixer-upper listings will cross your path during your home search. The main difference between the two is the condition of the property when you buy it. The right one for you depends on your needs as a homeowner and your goals as a landlord.
What is a turnkey property?
Turnkey properties are move-in ready from day one, which means they’re ready for you to rent them out immediately. Whether it’s a new construction home or a recently remodeled listing, these properties are in tip-top shape when they hit the market. Companies that specialize in renovating and selling these properties may also offer property management services, which may appeal to you if you’re looking for a more hands-off approach to managing your investment property.
What does fixer-upper mean in real estate?
Compared to turnkey listings, fixer-uppers are on the opposite end of the investment property spectrum. Buying a fixer-upper means you’re purchasing a home that needs repairs, remodeling, and some major TLC before it’s ready to rent out. These properties are diamonds in the rough; you’re betting on your ability to make high ROI home upgrades that will attract future renters and put money in your pocket.
Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: StefaNikolic
Turnkey vs. Fixer-Upper: Pros and Cons
Turnkey Pros
Because they are move-in ready, turnkey listings have the potential to generate cash flow right away. Without any pending renovations in your way, you can open up the property to renters as soon as you take possession. They’re primed and ready to place in the hands of a property management company, which means you’ll get passive income without having to deal with day-to-day operational tasks. You can also ask the listing agent for permission to use their photos, which can help your rental stand out amongst the competition in your area.
Turnkey Cons
So, what’s the catch? These benefits all come at a cost; turnkey properties typically cost more than fixer-uppers. You’ll pay a premium for the pristine condition and the buttoned-up appearance of these properties, so it’s important to have a strategy to save money for your home purchase. Also, handing off property management duties to a third party means you’ll have less control over the renting process. For more information on whether hiring a property management company is right for you, read the following blog post:
Fixer-Upper Pros
Searching for homes in less-than-pristine condition can give you a leg up as a buyer. Fixer-upper homes tend to have less competition from buyers than turnkey properties, since not everyone is willing to take on a major remodeling project. Talk to your agent about how to make the best offer. Given their lessened condition, you can oftentimes get a great deal on these homes with the right strategy. And the best part is, your remodeling efforts will increase the home’s value over time. The more effort you put in, the more the property will be worth, which means higher ROI potential.
Fixer-Upper Cons
Here’s the downside with fixer-uppers: tapping into their potential requires pouring money into the property. Exactly how much you can expect to spend on a fixer-upper varies by location, the size of the home, and the scope of repairs and renovations needed. Tackling some remodeling projects DIY can save you money, but if certain projects require more skilled hands, it may be best to hire a professional. And for all your planning, it’s impossible to predict the future. Projects may go over budget, material costs may rise, and the market may look completely different when you’re ready to rent out your property than it did when you bought it. For more information on buying a fixer-upper and the special financing options available to you, read the following blog post:
Your real estate agent is your greatest asset in helping you determine which property type is right for you. Connect with a local Windermere agent to see which turnkey and fixer-upper properties are available in your area.
Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: hikesterson
Windermere Foundation Surpasses $35 Million In Giving
Proud to be Windermere…
We are very proud of our brokers to support the Windermere Foundation which has raised over $35 million since 1989. In 2017, Eastside offices alone, raised up to $225,000 to help 22 organizations on the Eastside.
The Windermere Foundation had another banner year in 2017, raising even more than it did the prior year thanks to the continued support of Windermere franchise owners, agents, staff, and the community. Over $2.4 million was raised in 2017, which is an increase of eight percent over the previous year. This brings our total to over $35.5 million raised since the start of the Windermere Foundation in 1989.
A portion of the money raised last year is thanks to our agents who each make a donation to the Windermere Foundation from every commission they earn. Additional donations from Windermere agents, the community, and fundraisers made up 66% of the money collected in 2017. These funds enable our offices to support local non-profits that provide much-needed services to low-income and homeless families in their communities.
SUMMARY OF FUNDS, GRANTS & DONATIONS IN 2017
- Organizations served: 472
- Number of individual grants fulfilled: 644
- Average grant amount: $2,964.04
- Average donation to the Windermere Foundation: $116.08
FUNDING BREAKDOWN
- Total amount disbursed in 2017: $2,249,357.14
- Total disbursed through grants: $1,908,843.54
- Scholarships: 5%
- Youth/Child Programs: 33%
- Emergency Assistance: 24%
- Shelter: 11%
- School Assistance: 5%
- Education/Counseling: 12%
- Administrative Expenses: 2%
- Fundraising Expenses: 8%
So how are Windermere Foundation funds used? Windermere offices decide for themselves how to distribute the money in their local community. Our offices have helped support school lunch and afterschool programs, housing assistance for homeless families, food banks, homeless shelters, and non-profits that provide basic necessities, such as shoes, clothing, toiletries, and blankets to families in need.
A very notable day in 2017 for the Windermere Foundation was November 15, when a record-breaking $253,782 was given in a single day. A total of 35 non-profit organizations benefitted from that day’s donations, including Attain Housing in Kirkland, WA, which received $56,000 from the Windermere Eastside offices. Other organizations that received donations were Boys and Girls Club of Contra Costa in Walnut Creek, CA, and the Shady Cove School in Shady Cove, Oregon.
2017 also marked the second year of our #tacklehomelessness campaign with the Seattle Seahawks, in which Windermere committed to donating $100 for every Seahawks home game defensive tackle to YouthCare, a non-profit organization that provides critical services to homeless youth. While the Seahawks didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, they did help us raise $31,800. When added to last year’s $35,000, that’s a total donation of $66,800. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide additional support to homeless youth thanks to the Seahawks, YouthCare, and the #tacklehomelessness campaign.
Thanks to our agents and everyone who supports the Windermere Foundation, we are able to continue to make a difference in the lives of many families in our local communities. If you’d like to help support programs in your community, please click the Donate button.
From Windermere Eastside brokers to Eastside organizations
Windermere Eastside brokers donated $225,000 in 2017
In 2017, 22 organizations on the Eastside were granted $225,000 thanks to Windermere Eastside brokers. The grants help our Eastside community in various ways from providing school supplies and meals to housing needs.
The list of grant recipients
- Acres of Diamonds – $4,000. This grant provides women and children transitional housing and support programs to rebuild lives from domestic abuse and/or substance abuse.
- Assistance League – $15,000. This grant goes to the Operation School Bell program that provides basic items of clothing to low-income students, grades K-12.
- Attain Housing – $56,000. This grant provides affordable housing to homeless families with children as well as case management for setting financial and social goals.
- Backpack Meals – $10,000. This grant provides weekend meals to Bellevue School District students who are homeless and would otherwise go hungry.
- Bellevue LifeSpring – $31,000. This grant supports the Breaktime-Mealtime Program which provides 80,000 meals to children during school breaks.
- Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue – $7,500. This grant supports Project Learn after school and summer camp programs at three low-income housing Clubhouses.
- Eastside Academy – $6,000. This grant pays food expenses for homeless and poverty-level students while they attend this alternative high school.
- Eastside Baby Corner – $20,000. This grant provides essentials like diapers and formula to economically disadvantaged children, from birth to age 12.
- Escape to Peace – $2,500. This grant helps create awareness of sex trafficking of Eastside minors and helps fund a healing center – a safe place for children to escape and to provide healing.
- Friends of Youth – $2,500. This grant helps fund emergency response and shelter, then long-term placement, to children (ages 7-17) experiencing trauma or abuse in east King County.
- Hopelink – $2,300. This grant supports the Pantry Pack Program which provides lunches to poverty-level children in the 36 Lake Washington School District schools.
- Imagine Housing – $5,000. This grant will target under 18-year olds in their Support Services Program that provides affordable housing and life skill case management in East King County.
- Issaquah Community Services – $2,500. This grant will provide emergency aid in the form of utility payments to low-income families in the Issaquah School District.
- Issaquah Food Bank – $2,500. This grant helps maintain a refrigerated box truck utilized as a mobile food bank to remote Eastside communities that have difficulty accessing food bank services.
- Kindering – $3,000. This grant provides developmental support, screening, and early intervention therapies to the very young children of homeless families.
- Lifewire – $20,000. This grant supports the Hotel-Motel Voucher Program, which provides emergency short-term stays in hotels and motels for victim of domestic violence.
- Mamma’s Hands – $15,000. This grant supports three Houses of Hope that house mothers and children from abuse and homelessness and helps them develop individual plans to bring changes to their lives.
- Pantry Packs – $3,700. This grant supports the Lake Washington Schools Foundation’s program that provides weekend, child-friendly food packs to children of qualified low-income families.
- Royal Family Kids Camp – $6,000. This grant supports summer camp for abused, neglected and abandoned foster children (ages 7-11).
- Treehouse – $3,000. This grant supports the Little Wishes Program which allows foster care youth to participate in extracurricular arts, athletics, and other educational experiences.
- Village Theatre – $2,500. This grant helps the Theatre’s outreach to the youth of low-income families so they can have access to theatre and arts education, regardless of their ability to pay.
- Youth Eastside Services – $5,000. This grant supports YES Lifeline, which provides free mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment to low-income East King County youth and families.
