Community Events & Information Let’s Dance! Prices Stabilize & Even Grow Amidst a Chaotic Interest Rate Market If we let the media determine the mood regarding the housing market, it would be time to shut the party down and call it a night. I’m here to report that we are still dancing and there is a lot to celebrate! While it is not all shiny and bright (it never is), there is a pattern […]
Community Events & Information A Busy Legislative Session for Housing: 10 Bills Passed That Will Affect Housing in Our State On April 23rd the Washington State Legislature adjourned after passing 10 new bills that will affect housing. Some of the bills are geared toward creating more transparency around brokerage transactions, some are intended to institute more opportunities for building density to provide more affordable housing, and some are more regulatory to help guide and ease […]
Community Events & Information Understanding the Difference Between Long-Term & Short-Term Interest Rates It is very important that consumers understand the difference between long-term interest rates and short-term interest rates. Long-term rates involve home mortgages such a conventional 30-year fixed, Jumbo, FHA, and VA loans. Short-term rates involve car loans, credit cards, and Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs). While both types of rates have gone up over the course of […]
Eastside QUARTERLY REPORTS Q1 2023 We are seeing signs of price stabilization and some growth after the market correction of 2022! Illustrated on the front is the up-down-up trajectory that home prices have experienced over the last year. While we are in the midst of measuring the negative difference from the peak prices of the first half of 2022 to […]
Community Events & Information Housing Absorption Trends, Interest Rates Hovering, and Inventory Constricting. Three key elements to pay attention to when assessing prices and the real estate market. As we round out the first quarter of 2023, three real-time trends to pay close attention to in order to truly understand what is happening in the real estate market are absorption data, interest rates, and inventory levels. Right now, we […]
Community Events & Information Which is better, renting or buying?: The financial benefits of owning real estate. The financial benefits of owning real estate significantly outweigh the option of renting. Renting is certainly a must for some, and is what one may have to do while they build up to becoming a homeowner. Becoming a homeowner requires solid employment, good credit, and some type of down payment. Savings can all be built over time and […]
Community Events & Information Holy Shift, Again! Most of the Market Correction Behind Us & Growth Ahead! Markets change fast! We experienced a substantial shift in 2022 with the first half of the year feeling like a completely different market than the second half of the year. A 3-point increase in interest rate was the main culprit along with inflation and affordability for the 2022 market correction we experienced. A market correction […]
Monthly Newsletter  An Economic & Housing Forecast for 2023 by Economist Matthew Gardner Last week, my office had the pleasure of hosting Windermere’s Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner for his 2023 Economic and Housing Forecast. During this jam-packed hour of insightful delivery, he reported on the U.S. and local economies along with the U.S. and local housing markets specific to King and Snohomish Counties. If you are interested in receiving […]
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Eastside QUARTERLY REPORTS Q4 2022 2022 was a transitional year for the real estate market that started off incredibly seller-centric and ended in balance. We started 2022 with interest rates hovering in the low 3%, peaked at 7% in late fall, and ended the year hovering in the mid 6%. This significant jump created a correction in home prices as the cost […]
Community Events & Information December is for GIVING at Windermere North! Between holiday parties, family obligations, work, and the pressure of finding the perfect gift, this time of year can come and go in a flash. At Windermere North, we never want this season to go by without coming together to lift up our community and give back in meaningful ways.   Our office-wide annual holiday […]
Community Events & Information Key Factors to Note as the Market Recalibrates in the New Year 2022 has been an eventful year in the real estate market and the economy. After 2 years of pandemic-fueled demand and historically low interest rates, we experienced a shift. The Fed quickly raised rates (by 2 points) from April to October to combat inflation, curbing buyer demand as affordability took a hit. The overall economy is starting […]
Community Events & Information Matthew Gardner’s Top 10 Predictions for 2023   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 […]
Community Events & Information Returning to normal: buyer affordability dictates the market while sellers retain equity. There is no doubt that 2022 has been one of the most eventful years in real estate. This is saying a lot coming off the record-breaking years of the pandemic. We will probably never see anything like 2020 and 2021 again. During this time the market responded to a historical event that motivated the rearrangement […]
Eastside QUARTERLY REPORTS Q3 2022 The real estate market is adjusting to new environmental factors as we round out 2022. Interest rates have been on an upward trend since the spring and have increased by 2 points since the first of the year. This has put downward pressure on the peak prices we saw in the spring as we return to more […]
Community Events & Information Pumpkin Patches & Fall Activities Fall has arrived in the PNW and it’s time for cool mornings, warm beverages, beautiful colors, hay rides and pumpkin picking. Head out to a local farm for fresh produce and family-friendly activities. This is by no means an exhaustive list… there so many farms in our area, especially Snohomish County. Leave a comment with […]
Monthly Newsletter Navigating a balanced market: property preparation, pricing & negotiations. As we experience the fall equinox, when the length of a day is equal to the night, we are also experiencing a similar balance in the real estate market. We define a balanced market to have 2-4 months of available inventory. This means that if no new homes came to market, we would be sold […]
Market Update Understanding the Current Shift in the Real Estate Market: How Interest Rates Affect Prices As we continue to examine the shift in the market, we must take a moment to take a deep dive into interest rates. Since the first of the year, long-term interest rates have increased 2.7% from 3.11% on 12/30/21 to the peak of 5.81% on 6/23/22, but have started to level out. On 8/4/22 rates […]
Monthly Newsletter Understanding the real estate market shift: Location is key! There is an old adage in real estate: location, location, location. Where a property is located has the biggest influence on its value. Through the pandemic years, we saw a shift in how the location was valued. Before remote working became more common, homes located in neighborhoods that were closer to job centers such as Seattle were at […]
Eastside Quarterly Market Reports for Q2 2022 As we head into the second half of 2022, we are experiencing a shift in the real estate market. The market is starting to balance out after two years of an intense seller’s market. Q1 this year had the lowest amount of inventory we have ever seen, which put upward pressure on prices. With the […]
Monthly Newsletter Summer Food Drive! Every year since 1984, Windermere has designated one day to help make a positive difference in the communities where we work and live. 2022 is the 7th year that my office has spent this day working to put fresh produce on the tables of local families who need a little help. On June 10th, my […]