Newsletter

Newsletter

What is your home worth, and why do you want to know?

Your home is your shelter where you make memories, a large part of your financial nest egg, and a vehicle for creating wealth. Knowing what your home is worth is empowering and important. The reasons that may come up when you need to know your home’s value can have a direct impact on your financial health. Do you need […]
Monthly Newsletter, Newsletter

Half Way Through 2024: Mid-Year Opportunities in the Real Estate Market

As we approach the mid-point of the year, I want to take a moment to explain all that has happened in the 2024 real estate market and where we might be headed. We have had strong price growth since December 2023, and in May 2024 prices matched the peak we saw in spring 2022. The […]
Newsletter

Accurate Update: Washington State & the Proposed NAR Settlement

As I am sure you have heard on the news, there is a proposed settlement agreement for the NAR (National Association of Realtors) Class Action Lawsuit. It has certainly stirred up plenty of headlines that have been glossy, and in many cases, inaccurate. Many of the reports and headlines have been national and it is […]
Cost vs Value, Dial in on the Local Market, Newsletter

Phill was Right! Spring Arrives Early for our Local Real Estate Market

When Punxsutawney Phill climbed up to his perch at Gobblers Knob on February 2nd and did not see his shadow, an early spring was predicted. Little did we know that he would be referring to the real estate market! As we experience temps in the 30s and scattered snow showers in the first week of March, we […]

Newsletter What is your home worth, and why do you want to know? Your home is your shelter where you make memories, a large part of your financial nest egg, and a vehicle for creating wealth. Knowing what your home is worth is empowering and important. The reasons that may come up when you need to know your home’s value can have a direct impact on your financial health. Do you need […]

Monthly Newsletter Half Way Through 2024: Mid-Year Opportunities in the Real Estate Market As we approach the mid-point of the year, I want to take a moment to explain all that has happened in the 2024 real estate market and where we might be headed. We have had strong price growth since December 2023, and in May 2024 prices matched the peak we saw in spring 2022. The […]

Newsletter Accurate Update: Washington State & the Proposed NAR Settlement As I am sure you have heard on the news, there is a proposed settlement agreement for the NAR (National Association of Realtors) Class Action Lawsuit. It has certainly stirred up plenty of headlines that have been glossy, and in many cases, inaccurate. Many of the reports and headlines have been national and it is […]

Cost vs Value Phill was Right! Spring Arrives Early for our Local Real Estate Market When Punxsutawney Phill climbed up to his perch at Gobblers Knob on February 2nd and did not see his shadow, an early spring was predicted. Little did we know that he would be referring to the real estate market! As we experience temps in the 30s and scattered snow showers in the first week of March, we […]

Newsletter New Year, New Laws! What This Means for Consumers Moving Forward. Effective January 1, 2024, the statute in Washington that governs real estate brokerage relationships (RCW 18.86) otherwise known as the “Agency Law” – was significantly revised. The revisions modernize the 25-year-old law, provide additional transparency and consumer protections, and acknowledge the importance of buyer representation. KEY REVISIONS For decades, real estate brokerage firms were only […]

Dial in on the Local Market Matthew Gardner’s 2024 Economic Forecast Highlights Last week, my office hosted our 16th Annual Economic Forecast Event featuring Matthew Gardner. Matthew is a sought-after economist focused on the national and local economies and has a deep understanding of the housing market across the country and right in our own backyard. He is an economic advisor for the State of Washington, Governors Council, lectures […]

Dial in on the Local Market New Agency Law Changes: Transparency, Consumer Protection & Commitment On January 1, 2024, major changes to the Law of Agency will go into effect. These changes result from the real estate industry in the state of Washington wanting to elevate the level of transparency and consumer protection surrounding buyer representation. Senate Bill 5191 was voted into law requiring adjustments in how brokers operate when working with […]

Dial in on the Local Market The Low Inventory Effect: Nationally & Close to Home The video below from Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, refers to the effects of constricted inventory levels on the national housing market in a higher interest rate environment. Review the localized numbers that I gathered that pertain to King and Snohomish Counties and then check out what he has to say about the national trends. […]

Community Events Win-Win: How to Overcome Interest Rate Pressure with Creative Financing Lately we have talked about life changes leading to real estate moves. Sometimes moves are brought on by joyful advancements in life and sometimes they are motivated by hardship. Then there are times when your actual house just doesn’t fit your life anymore and it is time for something different. Whatever might be calling someone to make […]

Community Events Clarity Through Chaos: Using the Data to Guide Decisions. I think we can all agree that we have been on a bit of a wild ride over the last 12 months in the real estate market. When the Fed decided to change its trajectory on interest rates in mid-2022, it created some chaos and confusion. When big changes happen, it is a natural reaction […]

Community Events 2023 Market Predictions, Fact Checked. One of the reasons why we are fortunate to have Matthew Gardener as our Chief Economist at Windermere is his transparency. Every year, Matthew makes predictions for the coming year based on his monumental research and years of experience. Just this week, he reviewed his 2023 predictions and recorded the video below. Most of his […]

Community Events 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 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 […]

Community Events 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 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 […]

Dial in on the Local Market 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 is defined […]

Community Events 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 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 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 […]

Community Events 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 […]