News You Can Use

eNewsletter Maximizing Your Property’s Potential: What you need to know about Middle Housing Higher-density housing is happening in our state and quite possibly right in your own backyard. This is called middle housing. Middle housing is a term for buildings that are compatible in scale, form, and character with detached single-family houses. In 2023, House Bill 1110 was passed in a bipartisan 35-14 vote in the Senate and 79-18 vote in […]
eNewsletter Transparency First: NWMLS Votes to NOT opt in to the NAR Lawsuit Settlement As promised, here is the latest update regarding the $418 Million NAR Lawsuit Settlement and how it will affect real estate operations in WA State. As the deadline to opt in to the NAR Lawsuit Settlement approaches, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) announced last week that they have voted to NOT opt-in to the settlement. […]
News You Can Use Three Hot Buttons in Real Estate The real estate industry has been in the news a bit lately. Not so much about the trends and home values. More so about class action lawsuits, which have stolen a lot of attention away from the positive activity that is happening in our market. While the lawsuit is an important story to track, one […]
Community News & Events 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 […]
Community News & Events Now or Later: When Rates Drop, Expect the Market to Tilt The question that many potential buyers are asking themselves right now is: should I wait for rates to drop before I buy? Higher interest rates have certainly made monthly payments higher and challenged overall affordability, however it is important to consider creative financing options and what the impact on prices will be once rates lower. Experts […]
Community News & Events 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 […]
eNewsletter 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 News & 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 […]
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Community News & Events Should You Stay or Should You Go? Interest Rates Limit Inventory and Stabilize Prices There has always been a direct correlation between interest rates and home prices. The rule of thumb has always been when rates go up prices go down, and vice versa. This was temporarily proven true in the summer of 2022 when rates quickly rose by 2% (3.5%-5.5%) over 5 months. It created a price correction in the […]
Community News & 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 News & 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 News & Events 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 News & 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 News & 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 News & 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 […]
eNewsletter 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 News & Events  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 […]
Eastside Quarterly Market Trends 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 News & 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 News & 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 […]