Number of the Day: 12.4

As in, Seattle metro area median home prices are up 12.4 percent from last year, topping Zillow's list of fastest appreciating U.S. markets.

In the everlasting battle between West Coast cities boasting the most eye-popping home prices, Seattle seems to have landed a surprise left uppercut to its sister (cousin?) to the south, the n-o-t-o-r-i-o-u-s San Francisco.

San Fran (they hate being called that) still holds the edge in median home values, with the average Bay Area home running just over $865,000, compared to $455,000 in the Seattle metro area, which includes Everett, Bellevue, and Tacoma.

Despite the still rather large gap in median prices, our region's $455,000 is up 12.4 percent from last year, which is good enough to top Zillow's list of fastest-appreciating markets. U.S. home values rose 6.9 percent during the same period, while San Francisco has thus far seen a 6 percent increase, or half of what Seattle is experiencing.

Still, don't expect the median price gap to close anytime soon. San Francisco had hit our current median home value way back in July 2002 and they haven't looked back since.

Is this a sign of where we're headed? MBAKS and friends recently addressed this issue at our annual Housing Summit, held October 17. At the Summit, the association announced our 2018 legislative agenda, including a 10-Point Plan for Housing Attainability.

Curious about the rental market? Seattle tops that list too, with a 5.5 percent increase year over year, which comes out to a median monthly rent of $2,189. U.S. rents are up 2.1 percent (at $1,430 a month), and San Francisco again limbos under the trend at a scant 0.4 percent increase, though don't start putting flowers in your hair just yet—their median rent is still a bloated $3,376 per month.

I guess that's one thing to be thankful for this Northwest Thanksgiving—at least we're not San Francisco… yet.

This week, Shannon talks to David Barnes with the City of Kirkland about our upcoming Residential Builders Council meeting. Join RBC and Built Green to learn more about green building incentives, how they work, and provide feedback to participating cities.

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Q: I’ve spent a lot of time at home since the pandemic started. Lately, my smallish house feels cluttered and claustrophobic, and it’s affecting my mood and energy level. What can I do to feel better?

A: Your home can profoundly affect your health and well-being, and we’re spending more time in our homes than ever before.

Over the past few decades, science has revealed a strong link between our surroundings and our overall health. It’s become clear that we need to give our home environment a serious health check to ensure our own long-term wellness. Here are a few tips to transform your home into a more positive space.

Let nature in

Despite how we live today, we’re still children of nature. The health benefits of acting on this knowledge are well-studied and undeniable. When we’re close to nature, everything works better. It calms us and reduces stress. In natural settings, we concentrate better and heal faster. When we remove nature from our surroundings, things fall apart.

Bring in nature by minimizing the barriers that separate exterior from interior. If you can increase the size of your windows, or add more, do so. Replace heavy drapery with solar shades that open up the view and admit more natural light. Invite nature in by adding landscaping just outside your windows and bringing plants, herbs and living walls into your home.

Invest in your outdoor space if you’re able. Make your patio or deck more inviting with comfortable furniture, outdoor heaters, rugs and soft fabrics. Replace a solid door with glass, or add a sliding door to improve access to garden paths and outdoor spaces.

Shed stuff

We often have too much stuff. The psychological burden of clutter and chaos is greater than you might think. It might seem counterintuitive, but having too much stuff can result in depression, a sense of isolation and an inability to focus.

Reducing and decluttering are not easy but can be achieved if you tackle rooms and tasks systematically. The hard part is the mental shift required to commit to keeping only things that give us joy or that we truly need.

In terms of decluttering, drawers and containers are the most efficient form of storage. The secret of effective storage is keeping containers visible and “filing” them vertically, as you would with paperwork, to ensure that you can easily see and access what you need. Not knowing where things are is its own source of unhealthy frustration and stress.

Of course, decluttering is of no use if you continue accumulating more stuff. Stores encourage you to buy more, but you can decide what you actually bring into your home.

Light appropriately

Our ancestors’ only source of light was the sun. As a result, natural light is the heart of our circadian rhythms and essential for our overall health. It regulates our metabolism, immune system, blood pressure and cognition. It is easy for artificial lighting to work against our natural cycles.

While we can’t control sunlight, we can control the type of lighting in our homes and the tone and color of the light we are exposed to. Every room should have different types of light — general lighting, task lighting and accent lighting — preferably controlled separately and dimmable. This allows flexibility for different activities at different times of the day and night. Most importantly, it allows you to simulate natural sunlight.

Pay specific attention to the color (also known as temperature) of light bulbs. To increase productivity during the day, set overhead lighting to a bright, blue-white light. In the evening, when you want to relax, you can switch to lamps with soft, warm light placed at eye level.

Improve air quality

We breathe in air continuously, but unless our sense of smell tells us that something is wrong, we hardly ever think about the quality of the air. Many irritants and harmful gases are odorless and can cause serious health problems without our realizing it.

To improve air quality, become mindful of what you bring into your home. Many household products like air fresheners, disinfectants, aerosol sprays, and art materials (paints, solvents) contain harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Choose paint, flooring products and building and furniture materials that are formaldehyde free. Read product labels, ask questions and choose reliable manufacturers for everything you bring into your home.

While we cannot control everything, there is still a lot we can do to ensure that our homes improve the overall health and well-being of ourselves and our loved ones.

Mia Hannom is the owner of In Form Design, a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). If you have a home improvement, remodeling, or residential homebuilding question you’d like answered by one of the MBAKS’s more than 2,600 members, write to homework@mbaks.com