buying a home

buying a home, community, Fair Housing Act, selling a home, supporting communities

April is Fair Housing Month

April is Fair Housing Month, when we commemorate the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and reaffirm our belief that every individual has the right to own a home. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against home renters and buyers by landlords, sellers and lenders on account of their race, color, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability […]
Bellevue condominium, Bellevue Real Estate, buying a home, Downtown Bellevue, housing market, living downtown, real estate, urban living

1200 Bellevue Way/Downtown Bellevue – New on the Market

1200 Bellevue Way, a community of 49 attached homes, has a sought after location blocks from downtown Bellevue’s business district, celebrated shopping and dining and countless arts and entertainment venues. Homes have traditional brick architecture but inside you’ll find a contemporary layout with spacious open concept design. The home’s main level provides ample living and […]
Buyer Broker Services Agreements, buying a home, condominium speciaist, housing market, real estate, Windermere Real Estate

What are Buyer Broker Services Agreements?

Real estate, and the laws surrounding it, is constantly changing. Beginning January 1st of this year, the State of Washington now requires that home buyers sign a Buyer Broker Services Agreement when working with a licensed broker in their search for a home. While it sounds like a big change, Buyer Broker Services Agreements have […]
buying a home, economy, interest rates, real estate, Robin Myers/Condo Specialist, selling a home, Windermere Real Estate

2024 Housing Market Predictions

Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, provides his annual insight and predictions for the coming year’s local and national real estate market. Matthew reviews his 2023 predictions and provides his outlook for 2024. Matthew’s monthly market updates are always informative, but the annual recap and predictions for the coming year is always my favorite.

buying a home April is Fair Housing Month April is Fair Housing Month, when we commemorate the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and reaffirm our belief that every individual has the right to own a home. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against home renters and buyers by landlords, sellers and lenders on account of their race, color, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability […]

Bellevue condominium 1200 Bellevue Way/Downtown Bellevue – New on the Market 1200 Bellevue Way, a community of 49 attached homes, has a sought after location blocks from downtown Bellevue’s business district, celebrated shopping and dining and countless arts and entertainment venues. Homes have traditional brick architecture but inside you’ll find a contemporary layout with spacious open concept design. The home’s main level provides ample living and […]

Buyer Broker Services Agreements What are Buyer Broker Services Agreements? Real estate, and the laws surrounding it, is constantly changing. Beginning January 1st of this year, the State of Washington now requires that home buyers sign a Buyer Broker Services Agreement when working with a licensed broker in their search for a home. While it sounds like a big change, Buyer Broker Services Agreements have […]

buying a home 2024 Housing Market Predictions Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, provides his annual insight and predictions for the coming year’s local and national real estate market. Matthew reviews his 2023 predictions and provides his outlook for 2024. Matthew’s monthly market updates are always informative, but the annual recap and predictions for the coming year is always my favorite.

buying a home Matthew Gardner’s 2023 Top Ten Predictions – Mid-Year Update Earlier this year Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist, shared his predictions for 2023. Fast forward six months, and in his latest monthly video he compares those predictions with how the housing market, interest rates, supply and demand, etc. has performed in the first six months of 2023. Matthew is still confident housing demand is high […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

buying a home How’s the Real Estate Market? How’s the Real Estate Market? This is a question I hear a lot. Real estate was dormant this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since mid-May the housing market has made a robust and positive rebound. The number of buyers currently in the market far exceeds the available inventory of homes for sale. Why are […]

buying a home Summertime – Must Be Time to Go “Phishing” Over the past week I’ve suddenly received several phone and email “phishing” solicitations. I’d like to blame it on a full moon, but that was nearly three weeks ago. I’ve been contacted twice and advised my Amazon account had been locked due to suspicious activity. Two different people have called to tell me a credit […]

buying a home Available Homes for Sale Significantly Below Last Year The number of homes available for sale declined in April and May for obvious reasons – there were health and economic concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since late May local home sales have been ahead of the same period last year. Buyer demand remains high but what is different about this year compared […]

buying a home What Does King County’s Phase 1.5 Mean for Real Estate? King County has progressed to Phase 1.5 of the Governor’s “Safe Start Proclamation”. How does that impact buyers and sellers as they search for homes or list their homes for sale? Real estate firms may open their offices again. In compliance with State guidelines, staff, brokers and guests will be […]