Michael Schafer - Realtor at Re/max Northwest

09/25/2026

17044 NE 114th Court in Education Hill - sold on September 25th! These buyers were referred to me by a past client when they realized they were outgrowing their townhome. We toured some homes, honed in on what they needed and where they wanted to be, and secured this beauty at list price, with a credit toward closing costs! Congratulations, Karin and Ethan!

09/25/2026

Seattle's beloved local independent radio station is eyeing a second home in San Francisco just 3 years after expanding its broadcast footprint to the Bay Area .

The early-stage plan for the landmark property envisions radio broadcast facilities, a roof venue for live performances and community events, space for group and individual music lessons, and a public "third space" intended for year-round daily gathering.

09/23/2026

Do you have any of these perennials in your garden? Dividing them now basically means more (free) plants in the spring!

Fall is the best time to divide these popular garden perennials, which will encourage strong new growth and better blooming next year.

09/23/2026

Don't delay on these home maintenance tasks! Take care of them before the rain sets in and the temperatures drop.

Waiting until ice is coating the ground is a bad idea. These 7 exterior problems should be dealt with in September just as the leaves start to fall.

09/21/2026

The Fed announced a rate hike last week - but that doesn't correlate directly or immediately to a mortgage rate increase. Mortgage rates may remain volatile as markets adjust to the news and changes stemming from last week's announcement, but there's still opportunity out there. If you have questions about how this news impacts mortgage rates and our local market, reach out - I'd love to discuss it with you!

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its first interest rate hike since 2023 and indicated another to come.

09/19/2026

Do you fertilize your lawn in the fall? Doing so could add crucial nutrients to your grass and soil, helping it overwinter better and come back fuller than ever in the spring!

We’re sharing whether fertilizing your lawn in the fall is actually worth your time or a complete waste of money.

09/17/2026

Hard water minerals and build-up can make your shower's glass panels look dingy and dirty - but it's an easy fix!

Tired of looking at your cloudy glass shower door? We tapped a cleaning expert to share how to restore it to its former glory, plus why it happens in the first place (and how to prevent it from happening again!)

09/17/2026

After spending most of the summer debating potential tweaks to new affordability requirements in the city's former single family neighborhoods, the Kirkland City Council recently opted to stay the course.

New requirements taking effect in January will add a new $15 per-square-foot fee to housing units over 2,000 square feet. A move to raise that threshold to 2,500, intended to encourage more development, failed 3-4 last week in a vote that could signal deeper divisions on Kirkland's Council.

09/15/2026

The Bellevue Collection, owned by the Kemper Development Company and the Kemper family for the last 80 years, is for sale.

A whopper is hitting the real estate market: The Bellevue Collection, a 5.5 million-square-foot mixed-use complex in downtown Bellevue.

09/14/2026

As energy costs soar, many states are changing laws to allow people to plug in solar power-generating devices to their homes. California lawmakers are considering legislation for it as we speak and if enacted, Oregon and Washington would likely follow suit afterwards.

To ensure both household safety and grid reliability, the next wave of plug-in solar state legislation should adopt tiered wattage definitions and export limits, writes CraftStrom CEO Stephan Scherer.