Blog - Robin Myers

buying a home, condominium speciaist, condominiums, Downtown Bellevue, first time buyers, home property values, real estate, selling a home

February NWMLS Real Estate Market Snapshot

February statistics are in. Home prices, compared to February 2019, are up 9%. There’s less than a six week supply of available homes which is down 33% over the same time last year. Mortgage interest rates are historically low. Now is the time to maximize your home buying power. Open house traffic has been amazing. […]
condominiums

Spring Forward this Weekend
buying a home, condominium speciaist, real estate, wire fraud

Wire Fraud – Use Caution When Wiring Funds

In every real estate transaction emails are sent between the buyer and their real estate broker, lender, escrow and title companies. Unfortunately these emails have created an opportunity for wire fraud scammers causing some real estate buyers to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here’s how it works . . . scammers hack into the […]
Bellevue, condominium speciaist, condominiums, Downtown Bellevue, lifestyle, real estate

What a Difference a Few Days of Sun Can Make

While showing condos recently I took a photo of one of the home’s incredible views. We are fortunate to live in an amazingly beautiful part of the country. It can be gray here in the early months of the year, and we’ll all agree that this February has been a tough month with record rain, […]

buying a home February NWMLS Real Estate Market Snapshot February statistics are in. Home prices, compared to February 2019, are up 9%. There’s less than a six week supply of available homes which is down 33% over the same time last year. Mortgage interest rates are historically low. Now is the time to maximize your home buying power. Open house traffic has been amazing. […]

condominiums Spring Forward this Weekend

buying a home Wire Fraud – Use Caution When Wiring Funds In every real estate transaction emails are sent between the buyer and their real estate broker, lender, escrow and title companies. Unfortunately these emails have created an opportunity for wire fraud scammers causing some real estate buyers to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here’s how it works . . . scammers hack into the […]

Bellevue What a Difference a Few Days of Sun Can Make While showing condos recently I took a photo of one of the home’s incredible views. We are fortunate to live in an amazingly beautiful part of the country. It can be gray here in the early months of the year, and we’ll all agree that this February has been a tough month with record rain, […]

condominium speciaist Do You Need to Disclose a Video Security System When Your Home is Listed for Sale? Today’s home security systems are plentiful, inexpensive and easy to install. While they can provide peace of mind, when you list your home for sale, are you required to disclose the operation of a home video or audio security system? Washington State law makes it very clear – it is UNLAWFUL for anyone to […]

condominium speciaist Walkability to Amenities May Command a Higher Home Price The National Association of Realtors® recently published an article with data from a Redfin study addressing the impact walkability to neighborhood amenities has on home values. Homes within walking distance of workplaces, shopping, parks, schools, etc. rank high on buyer wish lists but will command higher prices. Homes with in-city locations are often condominiums (stack […]

condominium speciaist Selling Your Home? Prepare for the Photo Shoot This is the time of year when more homes are listed for sale. It’s rare to see a home on the market that doesn’t have professional photos. Quality photography is critical for on line marketing and could be the most important piece of the marketing plan your broker will (or should) commit to when […]

Bellevue Senior Property Tax Exemption Program It’s that time of year when we start collecting receipts, mortgage interest and property tax statements, all in readiness to work on taxes or at least deliver your box of receipts and statements to your accountant. Did you know . . . anyone 61 years or older who owns their own home may be eligible […]

Bellevue A Reminder of Bellevue’s Past I didn’t have any change with me to see if this still worked, but it was fun to find a phone booth still existed in downtown Bellevue. During a walk through Meydenbauer Bay Park I saw this outside the entry to the boat house at the park. Wonder how many kids over the decades […]

Community Service Day Windermere Foundation This year I celebrate 30 years as a Realtor® and a decade with Windermere Real Estate. Locally owned, Windermere has deep roots in the community and a commitment to support the neighborhoods where we live and work. I’m proud to support the Windermere Foundation and its efforts to support organizations assisting low income and homeless […]

Bellevue Excavation Started at Avenue Bellevue With demolition complete, excavation has begun at the Avenue Bellevue site located at the northwest corner of Bellevue Way NE and NE 8th Street. (This is the former Cost Plus site, or if you’ve been around Bellevue for a while, the former Albertsons grocery store.) The mixed use project will include 85,000 square feet of […]

Bellevue Affordable Housing in Bellevue? You might be surprised to find there are many affordable housing options close to downtown Bellevue. Apartments in the city are expensive and it’s likely the rent will increase each time the lease renews. The average monthly rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in downtown Bellevue is $3,250 or more per month (plus utilities). That’s […]

condominiums Open House Etiquette With real estate market activity picking up there will be more open houses to visit in the coming weeks. Are there rules of etiquette when visiting an open house? Common sense and courtesy should prevail, but it can be surprising what visitors think is acceptable when walking through someone else’s home. So what is OK, […]

Bellevue Bellevue’s Condo Market is Off to a Quick Start This Year Today’s Seattle Times (link to the article below) provided a review of the region’s 2019 real estate market comparing sales activity and property values to the prior year. While prices in the county were flat throughout the year, the last quarter of 2019 bucked that trend with inventory selling quickly and multiple offers more common. […]

Bellevue Snow Days I grew up on the East coast, so was used to several snow storms every winter. School was rarely cancelled or delayed and you hardly ever got a day off work due to snow. The north and mid-Atlantic states on the East coast are prepared for snow every winter. There are more snow plows there […]

Bellevue Eastside Condos – What Can You Expect in 2020? Today’s Seattle Times and Puget Sound Business Journal reported that the 2020 real estate marketplace was likely to open fast paced with low inventory levels and high buyer demand following a robust December of residential sales. Without a significant increase in available housing inventory it could be a “red hot market” this year with a […]

Bellevue Welcome Winter I love the change of seasons, despite winter’s shorter days. Embrace the grey! Though slowly, the days will begin getting longer.

condominiums 2020 Real Estate Excise Tax Revision The Washington State Legislature has changed the way in which real estate excise taxes taxes (REET) will be calculated. This change will impact real estate sales beginning next year. Starting January 1, 2020, the real estate excise tax, currently a flat 1.78% of the sales price paid by the seller at closing, will be calculated […]

Bellevue Eastside Condo Sales Activity As was true across the Puget Sound region, the inventory of available houses and condos for sale on the Eastside dropped dramatically in November. the median sales price was $900,000, up 2% over last year 20% of those homes sold above list price 45% of the homes sold in 15 days or less the Eastside […]

condo financing NEW FHA GUIDELINES OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOME BUYERS Condominiums are an important part of the housing market, especially for first time buyers. Often buyers have the income and credit score needed to purchase a home but lack a substantial down payment which can make entering the housing market prohibitive. In an effort to promote affordable homeownership for credit worthy buyers, the […]