Tips, Trends & Living March 6, 2025

Cut the Clutter: Donation & Recycling Locations Around the Sound

Spring is coming, and with it comes a chance to clear out the old and start fresh—whether it’s those ever-growing piles in your garage and attic, that closet you can barely close, or a horror-movie-inspired basement. Here are resources to reclaim your space and put your unwanted items to good use (or recycle and give them their own fresh start)…

Donations  |  Recycling  |  Disposal

 


Donations

 

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BARGAIN BOUTIQUE

Furniture/furnishings, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and new or gently used men’s, women’s or children’s clothing. Be sure to check items they don’t accept.

seattlechildrens.org/giving/bargain-boutiques

Estates: (206) 327-3067

Vehicles: (888) 205-8941

Bainbridge Island: 1050 Hildebrand Lane, Suite G-1 | Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 | (206) 842-5567

Olympia: 2020 Harrison Ave. NW | Olympia, WA 98502-5097 | (360) 236-8245

 

GOODWILL

Accepts donations of a wide range of items, from exercise equipment, to clothes and home decor items and furniture. Net proceeds help fund job training and education programs.

evergreengoodwill.org/donate-goods

Locations

 

KIDVANTAGE

Donate your quality used children’s clothing, shoes, baby gear, toys, books, bedding, and maternity clothing. You’ll help to fill the nearly 4,000 orders of essentials that they provide to underprivileged children and expectant moms each week.

kidvantagenw.org/donate-goods

Issaquah: 1510 NW Maple St. | Issaquah, WA 98027 | (425) 865-0234

Shoreline: 17230 12th Ave NE | Shoreline, WA 98155 | (425) 209-1136

Bremerton: 1463 NE Dawn Road, Suite B | Bremerton, WA 98311 | (360) 616-0235

 

MARY’S PLACE

Gratefully accepts gently used clothing, luggage, twin size sheets/blankets, paperback books, and small household items (dishware, utensils, mugs, and small appliances such as microwaves) to distribute to families in need.

marysplaceseattle.org/get-involved/share-your-stuff

Donation Center: 4521 6th Ave S. | Seattle, WA 98108

Shelter (small donations only): 720 Blanchard St, Seattle

 

NORTHWEST CENTER

Big Blue Trucks accept clothing, household goods, sporting goods, tools, toys & more to support people with disabilities. Here’s what they do and don’t take.

bigbluetruck.org/drop-off-locations

 

NORTHWEST FURNITURE BANK

Furniture bank for homeless families in transition in South King County and Pierce County. Here’s what they accept and you can arrange a pickup if you live within a 25 mile radius of Tacoma.

nwfurniturebank.org/donate

117 Puyallup Ave | Tacoma, WA 98421 | 253-302-3868

 

SAINT FRANCIS HOUSE

Accepts clean, gently used clothing for men, women & children as well as kitchen & household items. All donations are passed on directly to those in need.

stfrancishouseseattle.org/support-us

169 12th Ave | Seattle, WA 98122 | 206-268-0784 

 

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL

Drop off your sorted donations of gently used clothing, housewares, toys, shoes/accessories, linens, books, and electronics to one of their thrift stores (here’s what they don’t accept). $0.89 of every dollar funds programs that provide neighbors with food, clothing, eviction prevention, case management, and more.

svdpseattle.org/thriftstore

Seattle-King County

Tacoma-Pierce County

Everett-Snohomish County

 

SEATTLE’S UNION GOSPEL MISSION

Accepts food, clothing, furniture, vehicles & housewares in their mission to support our homeless neighbors.

ugm.org/donate-goods

Distribution Center: 8226 South 208th Street, Suite G110 | Kent, WA 98032 | (206) 723-5700

Furniture Pick-Up: (507) 593-7024

 

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Recycling/Disposal

 

E-CYCLE WASHINGTON

WA Department of Ecology’s free program for residents to recycle electronics (including TVs, computers, monitors, tablets, & more), with participating locations across the state.

ecyclewa.com

 

FRIENDLY EARTH

Free recycling of electronics, flat screen TVs/monitors, appliances, BBQs, computers, lawn equipment/tractors, motorcycles, & more! Recycling with a fee for copiers/printers, refrigerators, A/C units, solar panels, & large rear-projection TVs. Paid data destruction available as well. Get the full scoop here.

friendlyearth.org

1560 1st Ave S.  |  Seattle, WA 98134

(206) 367-4111

 

ONE GREEN PLANET

Free recycling of electronics, computers, copiers, printers, ink/toner, appliances, bikes/scooters, scrap metal, machinery, phones/chargers, & more. Recycling with a fee for appliances containing Freon, flat screen TVs, tapes/CDs/floppy disks, alkaline batteries, & X-ray film. Here’s the full list.

1greenplanet.com

851 Houser Way North, Suite B  |  Renton, WA 98057

(425) 996-3513

 

RECOLOGY

With a zero waste goal, Recology stores accept hard to recycle items like CFL light bulbs, household batteries, hard-cover books, small electronics/appliances, block Styrofoam, and bicycles. Here’s the fee list for non-customers (if you’re already signed up for their curbside service, you can drop off limited quantities for free).

recology.com

Issaquah: 317 NW Gilman Blvd, #22 | Issaquah, WA 98027

Highline: 15858 First Avenue S, #A100 | Burien, WA 98148

Shoreline: 15235 Aurora Ave. N | Shoreline, WA 98133

 

RUBBISH WORKS

Removal of nonhazardous materials for eco-friendly disposal—up to 50% of hauled away materials are recycled and the rest is donated when possible.

rubbishworks.com

(888) 594-5078

 

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Windermere Mercer Island

 

We earn the trust and loyalty of our brokers and clients by doing real estate exceptionally well. The leader in our market, we deliver client-focused service in an authentic, collaborative, and transparent manner and with the unmatched knowledge and expertise that comes from decades of experience.

© Copyright 2025, Windermere Real Estate/Mercer Island.

 

Real Estate May 10, 2024

What You Need to Know about the Washington State Seller Property Disclosure – Form 17

Washington State requires sellers of residential real property to thoroughly disclose material facts on a form called the Residential Real Property Disclosure Statement (often referred to as Form 17). Unless the buyer has expressly waived their rights, the seller must deliver this completed disclosure within 5 days after mutual acceptance.  The buyer then has a window of time to walk away with their earnest money at their discretion.

While sellers have always been required to disclose material facts, the Form 17 has been required by law (RCW 64.06.020) since January 1, 1995. It has undergone ten revisions since its inception, the last of which went into effect in 2021. In addition to the residential disclosure, the state added an unimproved property (land) disclosure in 2007 (RCW 64.06.015) and a commercial property disclosure in 2012 (RCW 64.06.013). The current form is 6 pages long and includes most of the typical property issues requiring disclosure with a catchall question for anything left out.

 

Is every seller required to complete this form? Are there exemptions?

The statute allows very limited exceptions RCW (64.06.010) to completing the disclosure statement. They include transfers…

  • by foreclosure or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
  • that are gifts to a parent, spouse, domestic partner, or child
  • related to marital dissolution or dissolution of a state registered domestic partnership
  • to buyers who had a prior ownership interest in the property in the last two years
  • of an interest that is less than fee simple
  • made by the personal representative of the estate or by a trustee in bankruptcy
  • in which the buyer has expressly waived the receipt of the seller disclosure statement

However, if the answer to any of the questions in the section entitled “Environmental” would be “yes,” the buyer may not waive the receipt of the “Environmental” section of the seller disclosure statement.

 

What happens after delivery of the disclosure statement?

The buyer has three business days from receipt of the disclosure statement to cancel the agreement for the purchase of the property (unless they waived their rights to do so in writing).

This right to rescind is statutory, and the decision to revoke the offer may be made by the buyer at the buyer’s sole discretion. If the buyer elects to rescind the agreement, the buyer must deliver written notice of rescission to the seller within the three-business-day period.

Upon delivery of the written rescission notice the buyer is entitled to immediate return of all earnest money deposits and the agreement for purchase becomes void.

If the buyer does not deliver notice the disclosure statement is deemed approved and accepted by the buyer. The full provisions of this right are found in RCW (64.06.030).

 

What happens if the seller doesn’t deliver a completed disclosure?

If the seller fails or refuses to provide a disclosure statement to buyer within 5 days, the prospective buyer’s right of rescission extends until the earlier of three business days after receipt of the disclosure statement or the date the transfer has closed (unless the buyer has otherwise waived the right of rescission in writing). After closing, per RCW 64.06.040 (3) the seller’s obligation to deliver the disclosure statement and the buyer’s rights and remedies related to it terminate.

 

Some sellers are more forthcoming than others…

When sellers claim there are no issues to explain, you should be wary…very wary. In my years of practice, I have yet to see a perfect house. Whether a 10-million-dollar estate, a newly constructed home, or a $300,000 starter home, every house has a story and every buyer has a right to know about it so they can knowledgeably complete their due diligence.

Making full disclosure actually benefits the seller, too. By disclosing a condition, the seller shifts the burden of investigation to the buyer under Washington law. By remaining silent, a seller risks the appearance of concealment and a lawsuit.  Think of it this way: disclose an issue and if the buyer accepts it you move forward with no worries since they are barred from seeking compensation later; fail to disclose it and you could be looking over your shoulder for years.

I like to see issues disclosed on a disclosure statement. It makes me feel like the seller has been honest and transparent. When I see a “perfect” disclosure, I know the seller is either in total denial or has decided not to disclosure the little (or big) issues they know about. Most buyers expect far more disclosure from the seller than the law requires. While sellers don’t have a duty to inspect their home or look for defects, they do have a duty to disclose defects that affect the value, physical condition, or title to the property. Sellers should consider disclosure to be a form of insurance.

Instead of minimizing disclosures, a prudent seller will try to consider the property from the perspective of a buyer and then disclose what a buyer would want to know. Many of the conditions that lead to lawsuits would have been acceptable to the buyer if they had been disclosed in advance. Other conditions simply are not important enough to the buyer to fully investigate before purchasing a property. To maximize the benefit of disclosure law, sellers may want to make full disclosure of the property and neighborhood even if they have no legal duty to do so. It is usually better to be over-insured than not insured at all.

 

Buyers have duties, too…

In addition to a thorough inspection, investigating issues raised in the seller disclosure statement is one of the most important parts of due diligence in a real estate transaction. Buyers have a duty of thoroughness and inspection that should not be taken lightly.

The buyer should evaluate each disclosed item, and (especially) those items not disclosed, but easily discovered during a walk-through and inspection. If there are many items identified and not disclosed, a buyer should be concerned about other unseen issues that might also not be disclosed. A savvy buyer will investigate a home with limited disclosure more thoroughly and/or make the decision not to purchase form a seller who is seemingly not transparent with the truth.

It is also important to note that sellers typically have no duty to disclose neighborhood conditions or past events at the property, even though these may be issues of concern to the buyer. For instance, sellers usually have no legal duty to disclose the following conditions either at the property or in the neighborhood:

  • Death, murders, suicides, rapes or other crimes
  • Ongoing criminal or gang activity in the neighborhood
  • Registered sex offenders in the neighborhood (RCW 64.06.021)
  • Future development in the area
  • Political or religious activities in the area

If these or similar matters are of concern, buyer should conduct their due diligence prior to submitting an offer or include an inspection and “Neighborhood Review” contingency in the offer to allow them time to complete it as part of their purchase agreement.

 

What is the seller’s responsibility after delivery of disclosure statement?

The disclosure statute (64.06.040) states that if after delivering a completed disclosure statement, the seller learns from a source other than the buyer or others acting on the buyer’s behalf such as an inspector of additional information or an adverse change which makes any of the disclosures made inaccurate, the seller shall amend the real property transfer disclosure statement, and deliver the amendment to the buyer. The buyer then has the right to rescind the purchase agreement within three business days after receiving the amended disclosure statement.

No amendment is required if the seller takes whatever corrective action is necessary so that the accuracy of the disclosure is restored, or the adverse change is corrected, at least three business days prior to the closing date.

 

The seller disclosure statement is not a warranty

RCW 64.06.050 says the seller shall not be liable for any error, inaccuracy, or omission in the disclosure statement if the seller had no actual knowledge of the error, inaccuracy, or omission. This includes disclosures based on information provided by public agencies, or by other persons providing information within the scope of their professional license or expertise, including, but not limited to, a report or opinion delivered by a land surveyor, title company, title insurance company, structural inspector, pest inspector, licensed engineer, or contractor. This applies to the seller’s real estate broker as well.

This should give a conscientious seller the assurance that the statute provides for property disclosure only and is not a warranty of current or ongoing condition. Provided a seller discloses everything they know, or that a reasonable seller should have known, about their property, a seller should feel good in knowing they are not held liable for its condition.

 

Here are a few great online resources to add to your knowledge base:

Current local Form 17 Real Property Transfer Disclosure Statement: https://windermeremi.com/files/2024/05/17_SellerDiscl.pdf

The complete text of the Washington State Real Property Transfer Act: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.06&full=true

NOLO Article: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/residential-home-sellers-washington-what-the-law-requires-you-disclose.html

 

Of course, nothing tops having an experienced pro to guide you through the process. We’ve seen hundreds upon hundreds of homes and can help you identify the solid finds from the duds with gorgeous looking veneer.

Choosing the right broker can save you thousands on your home purchase. Whether through local market knowledge and pricing analysis allowing you to make a smarter offer, recommendations and resources to thoroughly conduct your due diligence and avoid costly mistakes, or savvy contract negotiation to help you get the terms you need, having a Windermere broker on your side is an advantage you can’t afford to sacrifice.

 


 

Windermere Mercer Island

 

We earn the trust and loyalty of our brokers and clients by doing real estate exceptionally well. The leader in our market, we deliver client-focused service in an authentic, collaborative, and transparent manner and with the unmatched knowledge and expertise that comes from decades of experience.

© Copyright 2020-2024, Windermere Real Estate/Mercer Island. Originally written by Julie Barrows.

Real Estate December 15, 2022

Matthew Gardner’s Top 10 Predictions for 2023


This video shows Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner’s Top 10 Predictions for 2023. Each month, he analyzes the most up-to-date U.S. housing data to keep you well-informed about what’s going on in the real estate market.


1. There Is No Housing Bubble

Mortgage rates rose steeply in 2022 which, when coupled with the massive run-up in home prices, has some suggesting that we are recreating the housing bubble of 2007. But that could not be further from the truth.

Over the past couple of years, home prices got ahead of themselves due to a perfect storm of massive pandemic-induced demand and historically low mortgage rates. While I expect year-over-year price declines in 2023, I don’t believe there will be a systemic drop in home values. Furthermore, as financing costs start to pull back in 2023, I expect that will allow prices to resume their long-term average pace of growth.

2. Mortgage Rates Will Drop

Mortgage rates started to skyrocket at the start of 2022 as the Federal Reserve announced their intent to address inflation. While the Fed doesn’t control mortgage rates, they can influence them, which we saw with the 30-year rate rising from 3.2% in early 2022 to over 7% by October.

Their efforts so far have yet to significantly reduce inflation, but they have increased the likelihood of a recession in 2023. Therefore, early in the year I expect the Fed to start pulling back from their aggressive policy stance, and this will allow rates to begin slowly stabilizing. Rates will remain above 6% until the fall of 2023 when they should dip into the high 5% range. While this is higher than we have become used to, it’s still more than 2% lower than the historic average.

3. Don’t Expect Inventory to Grow Significantly

Although inventory levels rose in 2022, they are still well below their long-term average. In 2023 I don’t expect a significant increase in the number of homes for sale, as many homeowners do not want to lose their low mortgage rate. In fact, I estimate that 25-30 million homeowners have mortgage rates around 3% or lower. Of course, homes will be listed for sale for the usual reasons of career changes, death, and divorce, but the 2023 market will not have the normal turnover in housing that we have seen in recent years.

4. No Buyer’s Market But a More Balanced One

With supply levels expected to remain well below normal, it’s unlikely that we will see a buyer’s market in 2023. A buyer’s market is usually defined as having more than six months of available inventory, and the last time we reached that level was in 2012 when we were recovering from the housing bubble. To get to six months of inventory, we would have to reach two million listings, which hasn’t happened since 2015. In addition, monthly sales would have to drop below 325,000, a number we haven’t seen in over a decade. While a buyer’s market in 2023 is unlikely, I do expect a return to a far more balanced one.

5. Sellers Will Have to Become More Realistic

We all know that home sellers have had the upper hand for several years, but those days are behind us. That said, while the market has slowed, there are still buyers out there. The difference now is that higher mortgage rates and lower affordability are limiting how much buyers can pay for a home. Because of this, I expect listing prices to pull back further in the coming year, which will make accurate pricing more important than ever when selling a home.

6. Workers Return to Work (Sort of)

The pandemic’s impact on where many people could work was profound, as it allowed buyers to look further away from their workplaces and into more affordable markets. Many businesses are still determining their long-term work-from-home policies, but in the coming year I expect there will be more clarity for workers. This could be the catalyst for those who have been waiting to buy until they know how often they’re expected to work at the office.

7. New Construction Activity Is Unlikely to Increase

Permits for new home construction are down by over 17% year over year, as are new home starts. I predict that builders will pull back further in 2023, with new starts coming in at a level we haven’t seen since before the pandemic.

Builders will start seeing some easing in the supply chain issues that hit them hard over the past two years, but development costs will still be high. Trying to balance homebuilding costs with what a consumer can pay (given higher mortgage rates) will likely lead builders to slow activity. This will actually support the resale market, as fewer new homes will increase the demand for existing homes.

8. Not All Markets Are Created Equal

Markets where home price growth rose the fastest in recent years are expected to experience a disproportionate swing to the downside. For example, markets in areas that had an influx of remote workers, who flocked to cheaper housing during the pandemic, will likely see prices fall by a greater percentage than other parts of the country. That said, even those markets will start to see prices stabilize by the end of 2023 and resume a more reasonable pace of price growth.

9. Affordability Will Continue to Be a Major Issue

In most markets, home prices will not increase in 2023, but any price drop will not be enough to make housing more affordable. And with mortgage rates remaining higher than they’ve been in over a decade, affordability will continue to be a problem in the coming year, which is a concerning outlook for first-time buyers.

Over the past two years, many renters have had aspirations of buying but the timing wasn’t quite right for them. With both prices and mortgage rates spiraling upward in 2022, it’s likely that many renters are now in a situation where the dream of homeownership has gone. That’s not to say they will never be able to buy a home, just that they may have to wait a lot longer than they had hoped.

10. Government Needs to Take Housing More Seriously

Over the past two years, the market has risen to such an extent that it has priced out millions of potential home buyers. With a wave of demand coming from Millennials and Gen Z, the pace of housing production must increase significantly, but many markets simply don’t have enough land to build on. This is why I expect more cities, counties, and states to start adjusting their land use policies to free up more land for housing.

But it’s not just land supply that can help. Elected officials can assist housing developers by utilizing Tax Increment Financing tools, whereby the government reimburses a private developer as incremental taxes are generated from housing development. There are many tools like this at the government’s disposal to help boost housing supply, and I sincerely hope that they start to take this critical issue more seriously.

 


About Matthew Gardner

As Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, Matthew Gardner is responsible for analyzing and interpreting economic data and its impact on the real estate market on both a local and national level. Matthew has over 30 years of professional experience both in the U.S. and U.K.

In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities, Matthew sits on the Washington State Governors Council of Economic Advisors; chairs the Board of Trustees at the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington; and is an Advisory Board Member at the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington where he also lectures in real estate economics.

 


This article originally appeared on the Windermere blog November 14th, 2022. Written by: Matthew Gardner.

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