The Cascade Team Blog - Agent Tips

Seller Myths To Stop Believing If You Hope to Sell Your House

Pricing your own home is hard, what with all the history and hopes this magic number entails. Of course, you want to make a profit. Of course, all that money you spent installing a swimming pool or a half-bath will be recouped, because you're leaving your digs in better shape than when you bought it, right? Right?

Well, not necessarily. Too many home sellers fall prey to myths about home pricing that seem to make sense at first, but don't jibe with the reality of real estate markets today. To make sure you haven't bought into any of this malarkey—since the buyers you're trying to woo sure haven't—here are some common pricing myths you'll want to rinse from your brain so you kick off your home-selling venture with realistic expectations. It's time…

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Housing Market Fire Still Burning: Though a Few “Cool “ Spots Appear

KIRKLAND, Washington (Sept. 6, 2017) – As smoke and ash blanketed parts of Washington state, one real estate broker noted, “Even in a fire there are some cooler spots, and seasonally, the housing market is in a cooler spot.”

• Pending Sales Exceed New Listings Again For August
• Active Listings Down 12.8% Compared to Last Year
• $1,000,000+ Homes Sales UP 52% Over Last Year

The latest numbers from Northwest Multiple Listing Service show there are both cooler spots and hot spots, with the demand for housing and prices showing few signs of being extinguished.

“For August, we experienced a more robust market than anticipated,” remarked Diedre Hanes, principal managing broker-South Snohomish County at Coldwell Banker Bain in Lynnwood.…

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Issaquah Traffic Alert: Trader Joe's/Target Intersection

Traffic Alert: Trader Joe's/Target Intersection

From Sept. 5-26, the Trader Joe’s/Target intersection on Maple Street Northwest will be closed as crews build a mini-roundabout.

The project will provide a more intuitive intersection for pedestrians and drivers, and install rectangular rapid flashing beacons for the pedestrian crossings on Maple Street.

Drivers will still be able to access local businesses from the access points shown below.  

While a short term inconvenience this project should greatly ease the congestion in one of the busiest shopping areas of Issaquah in time for the holiday shopping season and beyond.

The Cascade Team Real Estate is a company like no other because of the marketing, service and home seller…

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No Need To Fear A Housing Market Bubble/ Here's Why Seattle Real Estate Is So Expensive

The Seattle region is experiencing quite a unique set of circumstances — old and new — that are creating unattainable prices for many.

• Topographical: There’s not much land to go around with lakes and Puget Sound in the way. There are also growth management boundaries. This makes what land is available for housing more expensive.
• Development: Builders aren’t building enough to meet the housing demand because land is expensive. Labor costs are also up and that adds to the price.
• Mass transit: Infrastructure, or lack thereof, makes it difficult to get around. So living in a convenient location is more expensive. Time is valuable, and commutes are growing. Buyers are moving farther out from Seattle along the freeways to find housing they can…

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Quick Stats Market Update For Sammamish. Issaquah and Snoqualmie

Thinking about selling your home? It's important to know how much your property is worth on today's market to choose an appropriate selling price.

The Cascade Team is happy to provide you with everything you want to know about the market in your neighborhood!

Recent Sales Trends
Property Info & Photos
School Information
Nearby Businesses
Walk Score
And More!
View A Sample Report Here

A Great Way To Stay Up To Date

The Cascade Team Market Report is a great way for buyers and sellers to get informed and stay informed about the real estate market. Buyers can keep an eye on the areas they want to move to. Sellers can see every comparable sale in their neighborhood as they prepare to sell their home. Market Snapshot will come directly to your…

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Washington Housing Bubble Fears Stronger Than In Any Other State

By Mike Rosenberg

 A new survey found 71 percent of Washington adults think a housing bubble is coming. New York, Florida and California residents were the next most likely to fear a housing bubble.

The biggest concern we here from buyers, sellers and even many agents in this market right now is,  “bubble.”

Home owners and long term residence still vividly remember the 2007 crash that lasted well into 2011. For buyers many see bidding wars on almost every property, and home owners nervously watch the prices ticking up and wonder;  "How much longer can this go on?”

Now a new national survey finds that 71 percent of adults across Washington are worried about a housing bubble and think prices are overvalued and unsustainable. That’s the…

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Opinion: Zillow To Become a Brokerage Within 12-18 Months

(Zillow Image)

• Zillow’s test of its new initiative for home sellers called Instant Offers is expanding beyond its initial two markets and moving into Phoenix, the Seattle-based real estate tech company announced on Wednesday.
• In addition to dotloop (transaction management and e-signatures), Zillow Group also owns Diverse Solutions (IDX provider), Market Leader (CRM), Postlets (listing advertising) and, of course, its search portals Zillow, Trulia, StreetEasy and HotPads.
• Zillow now has a new program called “Premier Agent Assist” where it will provide the initial and continued follow-up for 30 days on new leads to help its Premier Agents increase their conversion rates.
• Zillow has publicly stated that it has no intention of going into the…

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Bidding Wars: Don’t Blindly Take Highest Offer

When your seller receives multiple bids on their property, the highest offer shouldn’t always be their default choice. If it comes with an appraisal contingency—and the appraised value doesn’t match the sale price—your seller could be back at square one, looking for another buyer.

With King County home prices surging nearly $100,000 just this year to a record $599,000 in June—home prices in many markets are escalating so quickly that appraisals can’t keep up. That’s why real estate professionals may need to have more conversations with their sellers about appraisals.

“Any time prices move up fast, the actual appraisal process can lag behind because [appraisers] are looking back in history, not forward into the future” to determine appraised…

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Summer Doldrums For Home Sales “Not Happening” King County Home Prices up $100k Within a Year

KIRKLAND, Washington (Aug. 7, 2017) – New figures from Northwest Multiple Listing Service indicate home sales and prices, like July’s temperatures, sizzled. Prices area-wide rose slightly more than 9 percent from a year ago, but several counties near job centers saw larger price increases, including King County where the median price jumped 18.6 percent.

The latest report confirmed what most buyers and brokers know: inventory shortages persist even though MLS members added slightly more new listings last month than the same period a year ago.

“We should be entering the summer doldrums, but I don’t see that happening,” reported Diedre Haines, principal managing broker-South Snohomish County at Coldwell Banker Bain in Lynnwood. “Inventory remains…

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Sammamish 5th Safest City in America (Only WA City in Top 100)

Sammamish, Washington

The first city from the west coast on the list is Sammamish, Washington. This city on a plateau has a population of 52,365. It was named after Lake Sammamish; however, Beaver and Pine lake are the biggest lakes in the area. In fact, Beaver lake had a famous lifeguard teacher in the 1950s, Clint Eastwood. The city contains no major interstates within its limits but is a short commute to many big employers such as Costco and Microsoft.

Sammamish has secured the No. 5 spot in a new report over the safest cities in the U.S.

The Top 100 Safest Cities in America announced for 2017 report looked at crime rates in 764 cities.

According…

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