A consensus economic forecast points to a healthy housing market due to low mortgage rates, a low unemployment rate, consistent building activity, and a continually competitive first-time buyers’ market. Earlier this month, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) surveyed economists for its Real Estate Forecast Summit. Their 2020 projections are consistent with Windermere’s Chief Economist Matthew… Read more
The demand for housing should remain steady largely because of a hot job market and first-time home buyers in the Greater Seattle Area*. That is the biggest takeaway from the 2020 economic forecast presented by Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner at the sold-out 4th Annual YPN The Edge Breakfast. The… Read more
As the Puget Sound region continues to boom with jobs and major development, luxury homes* are becoming more commonplace. Our region is becoming a great place for investment in luxury homes and affluent home buyers have become an increasing share of the Northwest consumer market. Luxury Live, a marketing seminar… Read more
In a move to increase transparency and flexibility for consumers and brokers, the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) will update its rules concerning the publishing of selling office commissions (SOC). The rules update will take effect on October 1, 2019 and will make three basic changes. The update will allow… Read more
TAKE THE SURVEY What challenges will the next year bring for your business? Opportunities? How can the Association better serve you and deliver the best value for the dues dollars you pay? We want your input on these questions and more so that we can provide the education, advocacy, tools… Read more
Washington state, including King County and the Seattle metro area, has not built enough housing to keep up with the demand. Condos in particular have been underbuilt because of harsh liability laws. With very few condos built in the last decade, this more affordable middle-market option was not available to… Read more
RepairPricer.com recently analyzed 15,000 home inspection reports to discover the most commonly found defects in homes selling in the U.S. today. Defective Item Occurrence Percentage of homes Exterior caulking and sealer is missing 2439 16.26% Doors need adjusting and servicing 2320 15.47% Faucets and heads need servicing 2213 14.75% Outlets… Read more
The Superbowl is widely considered the start of the spring housing market – so even a game as boring as this year’s may indicate an exciting spring start. After a slight cooldown at the end of last year, members of the Seattle King County REALTORS® Young Professionals Network see signs… Read more
New data released by LendingTree shows that buyers in Washington state are paying some of the largest down payments in the country. Behind other high-cost, competitive markets of D.C., California, New York and Colorado, Washington buyers are placing $71,419 down on the average loan amount of $371,810. The national average… Read more
