Blog - Robin Myers

community, family, neighborhoods, supporting communities, Windermere Foundation

Windermere Foundation Reaches Its $50 Million Goal

For over 30 years the Windermere Foundation has donated a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold through Windermere Real Estate. What started as a mission to serve families in need in Washington State now includes ten states in communities where Windermere operates. In 2022, Windermere’s 50th anniversary, the company set a […]
buying a home, condo financing, condominium speciaist, home financing, home loans, mortgage interest rates, Robin Myers/Condo Specialist

Mortgage Interest Rate Buydowns

If you’re thinking about buying a home, the good news is mortgage interest rates continue to decline. Rates are in the low 6% range compared to over 7% a few months ago. There are ways to lower the mortgage interest rate even more with a temporary or permanent mortgage buydown, but there are pros and cons. […]
condominium, condominium speciaist, downsizing, lifestyle, right-sizing, Robin Myers/Condo Specialist, selling a home, Windermere Real Estate

Don’t Just Downsize . . . Right-size

Many sellers in today’s market, myself included, are getting ready to not only move but also downsize their lifestyle, fitting their new home to fit future needs. Downsizing, or right-sizing, means more than just “getting rid of “stuff” and finding a smaller home. It’s important to consider how you live now, how you want […]
buying a home, condominium speciaist, condominiums, first time buyers, real estate, rentals, Robin Myers/Condo Specialist

Rent vs. Buy – What Best Fits Your Current Lifestyle? Copy

There are definite advantages to owning a home, as a vehicle for building wealth and the security of owning a safe place to call home. Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate’s Chief Economist, speaks to the advantages of owning a home in this short video. While most of us can agree with all the points in […]

community Windermere Foundation Reaches Its $50 Million Goal For over 30 years the Windermere Foundation has donated a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold through Windermere Real Estate. What started as a mission to serve families in need in Washington State now includes ten states in communities where Windermere operates. In 2022, Windermere’s 50th anniversary, the company set a […]

buying a home Mortgage Interest Rate Buydowns If you’re thinking about buying a home, the good news is mortgage interest rates continue to decline. Rates are in the low 6% range compared to over 7% a few months ago. There are ways to lower the mortgage interest rate even more with a temporary or permanent mortgage buydown, but there are pros and cons. […]

condominium Don’t Just Downsize . . . Right-size Many sellers in today’s market, myself included, are getting ready to not only move but also downsize their lifestyle, fitting their new home to fit future needs. Downsizing, or right-sizing, means more than just “getting rid of “stuff” and finding a smaller home. It’s important to consider how you live now, how you want […]

buying a home Rent vs. Buy – What Best Fits Your Current Lifestyle? Copy There are definite advantages to owning a home, as a vehicle for building wealth and the security of owning a safe place to call home. Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate’s Chief Economist, speaks to the advantages of owning a home in this short video. While most of us can agree with all the points in […]

buying a home Increased Conforming Loan Limits Will Benefit Buyers Conforming home loan limits are tied to local home prices. Each year the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) evaluates home values nationwide and adjusts the conforming loan limits for each state and each county within each state. FHFA also establishes higher conforming loan limits for areas deemed to be “high cost areas” based on local […]

condominiums What’s the Expected Local Impact of Recent Tech Industry Layoffs? There’s been a lot of media coverage in the last six weeks relating to local and national tech industry layoffs. The Pacific Northwest has a significant tech industry presence, not just all the major players but also many smaller but successful start-ups What impact can we expect in the Seattle and Eastside economy and housing […]

condominium speciaist September is Realtor® Safety Month September is Realtor® Safety Month. You wouldn’t think real estate was a profession that deals with a lot of risk or safety concerns. Though rare, over the years there have been several instances locally and across the country of Realtors® being physically or cyber stalked, injured or abducted. Locally, our industry was rocked by the […]

buying a home Juanita – New on the Market VILLA JUANITA – a spacious, open concept home designed with comfort and style No detail was overlooked in this spacious one bedroom condo. Quality finishes and fixtures throughout (Restoration Hardware lighting, custom window treatments, freshly painted, newer carpet and stainless appliance package) make this a comfortable home for day-to-day or entertaining. The kitchen will please […]

Bellevue condominium Thoughts on Bellevue’s Fall Condo Market August tends to be a quiet month for real estate, but after the Labor Day holiday weekend, expect to see market activity pick up as we head into fall. It was a frenzied first half of the year, both nationally and locally, with a continuing shortage of existing and new construction housing inventory. The […]

Downtown Bellevue Summer Movies in the Park are Back A favorite summer event, movies in the Downtown Bellevue Park, are back on Tuesday evenings beginning July 19th through August 23rd. This is a free, fun family event that always draws a big crowd. Pre-movie entertainment starts at 7:30 PM and movies start around dusk (9:00-ish). July 19th […]

condo resale disclosures Revision to Condominium Resale Certificates Relating to EV Charging Stations The WA State Legislature recently approved a revision to the Condominium Resale Certificate. House Bill 1793, passed by both the House and Senate, was effective June 9, 2022. A new section has been added to the Condominium Resale Certificate relating to electric vehicle charging stations. Whether located in the unit or the limited common elements […]

appraisals Recent Changes to Condo Financing and Appraisal Requirements Following the 2021 collapse of the Surfside, FL condominium tower, and growing concerns nationwide about aging buildings and potential issues due to deferred maintenance, lenders are now required to perform additional due diligence when approving condo units for conventional loans. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have issued new requirements for condo and co-op financing. These […]

Bellevue Farmers Market Bellevue Farmers Market Opening Day – Thursday, May 12th Opening day for this year’s Bellevue Farmers Market is Thursday, May 12th. The market is open every Thursday from May through October from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The market is located at Bellevue Presbyterian Church at 1717 Bellevue Way NE. The market offers a mix of local vendors offering seasonal fruits & vegetables, flowers, […]

buying a home Housing and the Economy – What to Expect in 2022 In the last housing and economic forecast for 2021, Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, looks ahead and shares his economic and housing forecast for 2022.

Bellevue Bellevue Outdoor Movies In the Park It’s summer and movies in the park are back! Gather family, neighbors and friends, pack a blanket, lawn chairs and snacks and head to the Downtown Park and Crossroads Park for Tuesday and Thursday night movies. A 40 foot movie screen will show movies in both locations. Seating starts at 7:30 PM and movies begin […]

Bellevue Another Great Reason to Call Bellevue Home The City of Bellevue was one of 10 cities nationwide honored with this year’s All-American City Award. This year’s theme focused on building equitable and resilient communities. The award celebration was held virtually in June. “We are honored to receive this award on behalf of a city that addresses community needs together with resilience and […]

family LOCAL SUMMER DAY TRIPS I haven’t been to Bainbridge Island in years. I recently spent the day in Winslow with a friend who is an artist to see her work on display in a local gallery. After coffee at the waterfront park overlooking Eagle Harbor we explored the Bainbridge Arts & Crafts gallery, viewing her work along with the […]

Bellevue Summer May Offer Temporary Relief for Home Buyers This week’s press release from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) provided a hint of hopeful news for local home buyers. NWMLS data shows the number of active listings added to the market in June was at it’s highest level in 17 months. In the tri-county area (King, Snohomish and Pierce counties) single family and […]

Bellevue Farmers Market Bellevue Farmers Market Opens May 13th It’s a sure sign spring is here . . . the 2021 Bellevue Farmers Market opens this week. The market is open every Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. You’ll find the market at the same location as years past – Bellevue Presbyterian Church located at 1717 Bellevue Way NE. Look for a variety of […]

Bellevue East Link Light Rail Progress While shops and restaurants were closed throughout 2020, construction progress for Sound Transit’s East Link Light Rail continued moving forward. Tracks have been installed across I-90 and throughout the Eastside, stations are under construction, the Bel-Red maintenance facility is complete and landscaping is beginning to frame the tracks and stations. Driving through the Bel-Red neighborhood […]