October 2022

Taking the Fear out of Saving for a Home

If you’re planning to buy a home, knowing what to budget for and how to save may sound scary at first. But it doesn’t have to be. One way to take the fear out of budgeting is understanding some of the costs you might encounter.  And to do that, turn to trusted real estate professionals. They can help you plan your finances and prepare your budget. Here are just a few costs experts...

Millennials Are Still a Driving Force of Today’s Buyer Demand

If you’re thinking about selling your house but wondering if buyers are still out there, know that there are still people who are searching for a home to buy today. And your house may be exactly what they’re looking for. While the millennial generation has been dubbed the renter generation, that namesake may not be appropriate anymore. Millennials, the largest generation, are...

Wednesday Update : Seattle’s Eastside Residential Market Update for the week of 10/26/22

Wednesday Update : Seattle's Eastside Residential Market Update for the week of 10/26/22 MARKET RECAP: RATES: Thankfully, there was some relief in interests rates this week. The 30 year fixed rates declined slightly from 7.22% to 7.15%, which is still 3.88% higher than it was a year ago.  THE MARKET: It is normal for active listings and pending sales to decline in the 4th quarter. However,...

3 Graphs Showing Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t Like 2008

With all the headlines and talk in the media about the shift in the housing market, you might be thinking this is a housing bubble. It’s only natural for those thoughts to creep in that make you think it could be a repeat of what took place in 2008. But the good news is, there’s concrete data to show why this is nothing like the last time. There’s Still a Shortage of Homes on...

What Happens to Housing when There’s a Recession?

Since the 2008 housing bubble burst, the word recession strikes a stronger emotional chord than it ever did before. And while there’s some debate around whether we’re officially in a recession right now, the good news is experts say a recession today would likely be mild and the economy would rebound quickly. As the 2022 CEO Outlook from KPMG says: “Global CEOs see a ‘mild and...

Pre-Approval Is a Critical First Step on Your Homebuying Journey

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, one of the first steps on your journey is getting pre-approved. Especially in today’s market when mortgage rates are higher than they were just a few months ago, getting a mortgage pre-approval can be a game changer. Here’s why. What Is Pre-Approval? To better understand why pre-approval is key, it’s important...

3 Questions You May Be Asking About Selling Your House Today [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights If you’re planning to sell your house this year, you likely have questions about what the shift in the housing market means for your home sale. You might be wondering: Should I wait to sell? Are buyers still out there? And can I afford to buy my next home? Let’s connect so you can get answers to these questions and learn about...

What’s Ahead for Home Prices?

As the housing market cools in response to the dramatic rise in mortgage rates, home price appreciation is cooling as well. And if you’re following along with headlines in the media, you’re probably seeing a wide range of opinions calling for everything from falling home prices to ongoing appreciation. But what’s true? What’s most likely to happen moving...

Wednesday Update : Seattle’s Eastside Residential Market Update for the week of 10/19/22

RECAP: Rates continued to climb this week! The 30 year fixed rates are now 7.22%, which is 4.03% higher than it was a year ago. This has continued to put pressure on buyer affordability and the resulting decline in Pending Sales. All of this created another 2022 Months of Inventory high this week of 2.74 MOI.  I have been hearing from experts in the Mortgage Industry about is optimism that rates...

The Emotional and Non-financial Benefits of Homeownership

With higher mortgage rates, you might be wondering if now’s the best time to buy a home. While the financial aspects are important to consider, there are also powerful non-financial reasons it may make sense to make a move. Here are just a few of the benefits that come with homeownership. Homeowners Can Make Their Home Truly Their Own Owning your home gives you a significant...

Perspective Matters When Selling Your House Today

Does the latest news about the housing market have you questioning your plans to sell your house? If so, perspective is key. Here are some of the ways a trusted real estate professional can explain the shift that’s happening today and why it’s still a sellers’ market even during the cooldown. Fewer Homes for Sale than Pre-Pandemic While the supply of homes available for sale has...

Wednesday Update : Eastside Residential Market Update – September recap and stats for the week of 10/12/22

THE NUMBERS: Active Listings reached their highest level this year on 7/27/22 at 1189. Active Listings increased slightly from last week. 1014 vs 1004 a 1% increase. Compared to a year ago this week, listings are up 376%.  Active List Prices peaked this year in the week of 3/9/22 with the median at $2,499,500. As of this week they are at a median price of $1,675,000.  Pending Sales...

Four Things That Help Determine Your Mortgage Rate

If you’re looking to buy a home, you probably want to secure the lowest interest rate possible for your home loan. Over the last couple of years, that was easier to do as the housing market saw record-low mortgage rates, but this year rates have risen dramatically. If you’re looking for ways to combat today’s higher rates and lock in the lowest one you can, here are a...

What Are Experts Saying About the Fall Housing Market?

The housing market is rapidly changing from the peak frenzy it saw over the past two years. That means you probably have questions about what your best move is if you’re thinking of buying or selling this fall. To help you make a confident decision, lean on the professionals for insights. Here are a few things experts are saying about the fall housing market. Expert...

Brokers Say Home Buyers “Finally Get Some Relief” With Return to “More Traditional Market”

KIRKLAND, Washington (October 6, 2022) – “The shift in the market isn’t a surprise,” said broker Mike Larson when commenting on the latest statistics from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The report on September activity shows active listings are nearly doubled from a year ago, pending sales declined more than 31%, but prices in most counties are still rising. “Buyers are finally...

Two Questions Every Homebuyer Should Ask Themselves Right Now

Rising interest rates have begun to slow an overheated housing market as monthly mortgage payments have risen dramatically since the beginning of the year. This is leaving some people who want to purchase a home priced out of the market and others wondering if now is the time to buy one. But this rise in borrowing cost shows no signs of letting up soon. Economic...

Wednesday Market Update – Eastside Residential Market Stats as of 10/05/22:

Wednesday Market Update - Eastside Residential Market Stats as of 10/05/22: RECAP: Active listings remain steady this week, for the fourth week in a row. We would normally expect them to decline at this time of year, but many sellers still remain hopeful for a sale this year. Pending sales dropped 8% this week,  pushing the Months of Inventory to the second highest level this year at 2.44...

The Long-Term Benefit of Homeownership

Today’s cooling housing market, the rise in mortgage rates, and mounting economic concerns have some people questioning: should I still buy a home this year? While it’s true this year has unique challenges for homebuyers, it’s important to factor the long-term benefits of homeownership into your decision. Consider this: if you know people who bought a home 5, 10, or even 30...

The Cost of Waiting for Mortgage Rates To Go Down

Mortgage rates have increased significantly in recent weeks. And that may mean you have questions about what this means for you if you’re planning to buy a home. Here’s some information that can help you make an informed decision when you set your homebuying plans. The Impact of Rising Mortgage Rates As mortgage rates rise, they impact your purchasing power by raising the cost of buying...

“He & his team were awesome to work with and we are so excited to move into our new home!”

We recently completed a new home purchase after selling our previous home of 31 years about 4 months ago. Tony & his team were great partners for both transactions. We were able to get great value for the home we sold and then found the perfect “downsized” home to purchase. We actually closed the purchase while on vacation, so truly appreciated Tony’s work with us to complete most of that process...

How To Prep Your House for Sale This Fall

Today’s housing market is different than it was just a few months ago. And if you’re thinking about selling your house, that may leave you wondering what you need to do differently as a result. The answer is simple. Taking the time upfront to prep your house appropriately and create a solid plan can help bring in the greatest return on your investment. Here are a few...