Windermere Real Estate

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.
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 […]
condominium speciaist, condominiums, home safety, real estate, Robin Myers/Condo Specialist, safety, Windermere Real Estate

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

condominium speciaist Interesting Look at Historical Data Regarding US Home Ownership This week with Matthew Gardner – interesting information on historical data regarding US home ownership rates. Millennials still represent the greatest increase in home ownership in the last year.

condominium speciaist Understanding the Case Shiller Home Price Index This week Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist with Windermere Real Estate, explains the Case Shiller Home Price Index which has accumulated data over the last 130 years of home prices in 20 major cities in the United States.

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 […]