Blog - Robin Myers

buying a home, condominiums, economy, first time buyers, home property values, interest rates, real estate, selling a home, working from home

2021 Housing and Economic Update

Every year Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economic, provides his forecast for the coming year. As always, he includes a variety of topics that relate to the national economy, housing trends, mortgage interest rates and home price appreciation. This year he also addresses the impact the 2020 pandemic had on the economy and housing and what […]
condominiums, home property values, mortgage interest rates, real estate, Robin Myers, Windermere

2021 US Housing Forecast – What to Expect Next Year

This week Matthew Gardner, Windermere Chief Economist, takes a look at the US housing forecast for 2021. Topics include mortgages, existing home sales, existing home values, new construction, the impact of homes in forbearance and the urban condo market. Overall the outlook is positive for a continuing strong real estate market and low interest rates.
condominium speciaist, condominiums, housing market, real estate, Robin Myers, Windermere Real Estate

Matthew Gardner’s Housing & Economic Update

This week Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, shares his thoughts on the latest US home sales data. Single family and multi family home values continue to rise while available inventory levels continue to decline. What’s the news for condos? Condo prices are trending higher nationwide, up 10% year-over-year. It’s difficult to know how long this […]
Bellevue, community, condominium speciaist, Downtown Bellevue, Robin Myers, Snowflake Lane, Windermere Real Estate

Snowflake Lane 2020

The trees lining Bellevue Way have been decorated in sparkling holiday lights and the toy drums have arrived and line the sidewalks. Soon toy soldiers will take their places on top of the drums. The holidays are almost here. The Bellevue Collection’s Snowflake Lane will have a different look this year. The holiday season […]

buying a home 2021 Housing and Economic Update Every year Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economic, provides his forecast for the coming year. As always, he includes a variety of topics that relate to the national economy, housing trends, mortgage interest rates and home price appreciation. This year he also addresses the impact the 2020 pandemic had on the economy and housing and what […]

condominiums 2021 US Housing Forecast – What to Expect Next Year This week Matthew Gardner, Windermere Chief Economist, takes a look at the US housing forecast for 2021. Topics include mortgages, existing home sales, existing home values, new construction, the impact of homes in forbearance and the urban condo market. Overall the outlook is positive for a continuing strong real estate market and low interest rates.

condominium speciaist Matthew Gardner’s Housing & Economic Update This week Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, shares his thoughts on the latest US home sales data. Single family and multi family home values continue to rise while available inventory levels continue to decline. What’s the news for condos? Condo prices are trending higher nationwide, up 10% year-over-year. It’s difficult to know how long this […]

Bellevue Snowflake Lane 2020 The trees lining Bellevue Way have been decorated in sparkling holiday lights and the toy drums have arrived and line the sidewalks. Soon toy soldiers will take their places on top of the drums. The holidays are almost here. The Bellevue Collection’s Snowflake Lane will have a different look this year. The holiday season […]

buying a home Post Election Housing Thoughts How could a Biden administration impact real estate? Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate’s Chief Economist, shares his thoughts.

Bellevue Changes Planned for the Marketplace at Factoria Its been rumored for years that Factoria Mall would be redeveloped to make better use of the large parcel. The mall and several free standing buildings currently occupy the 43 acre site. An application for design review has been submitted to the City of Bellevue for redevelopment of the Marketplace at Factoria. Eight phases […]

Bellevue Downtown Bellevue Fall Color Every year I watch for this maple tree in McCormick Park to change color. Each year the color is a bit different but it never disappoints. The fall colors around downtown Bellevue this season have been exceptionally vibrant – maybe the hot weather the end of summer, the smoke in September or exceptionally cold temperatures […]

buying a home New Construction, Existing Home Sales, Condos & Vacation/Resort Homes Tight supply and increasing land/material/labor continue to contribute to rising home prices. Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist for Windermere Real Estate, shares his thoughts on builder confidence nationwide, evidenced by a dramatic increase in sales of new construction homes and permit applications. That continued buyer demand along with increasing construction costs are driving prices up. Sales […]

Bellevue VOTE! Locate Your Nearest Ballot Drop Box or Vote Center Election Day is just 20 days away. Washington State ballots will be mailed this week, so watch for yours in your mailbox. A brisk voter turnout is expected, so it’s recommended you complete and return your ballot early – either by mail or deliver it to one of the official ballot drop boxes. Bellevue has […]

buying a home How Long Will Mortgage Rates Stay this Low? This week Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate’s Chief Economist, discusses current mortgage interest rates. Interest rates are currently right around 3% and mortgage applications, driven by those historically low rates, are up 25% over the same period last year. It’s amazing to look back to the early 1980s when mortgage interest rates were in the […]

lifestyle This Year’s Best Places to Live List Every year Livability.com ranks the best 100 small to midsize cities to live in the country based on affordability, safety, economic stability, outdoor recreation, accessibility and community engagement. This year the survey added an “opportunity score” which reflects the city’s job offerings, economic resilience and growth. Fort Collins, CO was ranked the best […]

Bellevue Halloween Family Fun Social distancing restrictions are going to limit traditional Halloween activities this year. If you’re looking for a fun family event, check out Bellevue’s Vasa Park Resort Drive-In Theatre. Classic Halloween movies will be shown this weekend and again the weekend of October 23rd/24th. Some dates are already sold out . . . visit Vasa Park’s […]

community Seahawks and Windermere Team Up to #TackleHomelessness $5,300 raised during the last Seahawks home game for Mary’s Place! As the “Official Real Estate Company of the Seattle Seahawks,” all of us at Windermere are proud to kick off our fifth season of partnering with the Seahawks to #TackleHomelessness. For every defensive tackle made at a Seahawks home game this season, Windermere will […]

Downtown Bellevue Fall Weather and Rain are the New Normal It looks like fall weather and rain are the new normal. I can’t remember the last time our morning walk required rain gear for both me and the dog. Fall arrived this week leaving no doubt there has been a change in seasons. Fortunately Duffy loves wearing his rain and winter coats. He’s built pretty […]

Bellevue condominium Downtown Bellevue’s Condo Market is Doing Just Fine As we enter the seventh month of pandemic survival all indications are the downtown Bellevue condo market has remained strong. Media articles predicted homeowners, driven by pandemic concerns, might choose to abandon the city for suburban homes offering more indoor and outdoor space. Homeowners may be departing Manhattan and San Francisco, but Bellevue’s urban condo […]

condominiums Are You Eligible for a Property Tax Exemption or Deferral? Did you know . . . there are King County real estate property tax relief programs for qualified senior citizens, disabled persons and veterans. It is estimated that many qualified seniors and disabled persons are not registered for available exemptions and only 1 in 100 of those eligible for deferrals are enrolled. The application process […]

emergency planning Include Your Pet in Your Family’s Emergency Plan Brush and forest fires aren’t often a concern in the city. This week suburban, farm and agricultural communities in Bonney Lake and Sumner were caught off guard by a fast spreading fire that has caused evacuations, property damage and danger to people, farm animals and wildlife. If you live in a suburban community or a […]

economy Good News – Nationwide Mortgage Delinquency Rates are Down Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate’s Chief Economist, is back from vacation (sporting a new look) and talks about the relatively unknown U.S. Household Debt and Credit Report. While this may not sound very sexy, it actually contains interesting information. The report provides insights and data on national housing finance. Not surprising, mortgages and student debt […]

Bellevue condominium Urban Pet Potty Solution – Perfect for Condo Living I like to support local businesses, especially these days, and this one has special importance as a townhome owner with a pet. Condo Pet Pals has been a lifesaver. I live downtown and while I walk my dog several times a day, sometimes there isn’t enough time between business appointments to fit in a walk. […]

buying a home Selling Your Condo? Here’s Why the Condo Resale Certificate is Important What is a Resale Certificate? The condominium resale certificate is a critical part of every condo sale. Condos and homeowner associations are governed by documents that outline the duties and responsibilities of the homeowner and the community. When a buyer purchases a condo they are entitled to review those documents. The “resale certificate” is a […]