The National Real Estate Brokers Party Election-Day Focus

Posted by Cary W Porter on October 11th, 2016

By concentrating on the political issues that are likely to affect real estate markets, you’re casting a vote for your profession and community.

September 2016 | By Robert Freedman  

What are you voting for when you go to the polls as a member of the National Real Estate Brokers Party? You’re choosing candidates at the federal, state, and local levels who understand the role of real estate and property rights in keeping the economy strong and building vibrant communities. Lawmakers who “get it” will step up on matters affecting your business. Here’s a rundown of key issues on the legislative and regulatory agenda that affect real estate brokers and home owners across the nation.

Business Issues

Patent trolls

These companies…

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Scary Real Estate Stories: The House Is Vacant, But Someone’s Home…

Posted by Cary W Porter on October 7th, 2016

As the Halloween season approaches it's fun to have some nice "Spooky" stories to share with clients and friends. If any of you have any stories to pass along please let me know..... We promise to keep names and locations private if requested!  

The Halloween decorations have already been up in my neighborhood for about a week, announcing that the season for spine-tingling ghost stories has arrived.

To get in the spirit, we asked real estate professionals to share their creepiest stories from the field. Your clients may not want to know what’s lurking out there — at least until All Hallows’ Eve has passed — but these real estate tales of terror could be fun to share with colleagues, friends, and family during this spooky time.

 

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Seattle Area Housing Market Remains Strong, But Some See Signs of Rebalancing

Posted by Cary W Porter on October 6th, 2016

 

• New Listings up 14.5% Year over Year
• Pending Sales up 9.3%
• Closed Sales Increased by 9.5%
• Prices up nearly 9% YTD

KIRKLAND, Washington (Oct. 5, 2016) – It’s still a seller’s market, but some leaders from Northwest Multiple Listing Service think the imbalance may be easing in some areas, pointing to a slower pace of sales and moderating prices. Others aren’t convinced, citing mixed indicators.  
Northwest MLS statistics summarizing September activity show year-over-year gains in the volumes of new listings (up 14.5%), pending sales (up 9.3%), closed sales (up 9.5%), and prices (up nearly 9%). Inventory for single family homes and condominiums across the 23 counties in the report dropped about 8 percent from a year ago.
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Join The Cascade Team: All Treats Without The Tricks! The Results Are Spooktacular!

Posted by Cary W Porter on October 5th, 2016

The Only Thing Scarier Than Paying A Desk Fee is Realizing You Don’t Have To!

 

Make this Halloween the year you finally elevate your career with increased sales and income by joining The Cascade Team. We'll show you exactly how our brokers outperform the average agent and keep more money in their pockets.

Brokers At The Cascade Team Sell More

If your current or old brokerage has left you bewildered and haunted by all the promises and hopes of being a successful agent and yet you're still not where you want to be, it’s time to do the math and elevate your business!

The numbers above speak for themselves. Our brokers SELL 8 TIMES MORE HOMES and have higher average list prices than the average real estate agent. On average, our…

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Experts Predict 2017 To Be Even Hotter Year For Home Sales Than 2016 & Seattle Leads The Way!

Posted by Cary W Porter on October 3rd, 2016

We can expect a hot year for home sales in 2017, according to recent forecasts from the National Association of REALTORS®, the Mortgage Bankers’ Association, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and more.

NAR is predicting existing-home sales to reach 6 million in 2017, higher than its 5.8 million forecast for this year. But other entities are even more bullish. MBA is predicting home sales to eclipse 6.5 million next year, while Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are both predicting 6.2 million.

As we can see, each is projecting sizable increases in home sales next year!

A huge wave of Generation Yers, who have delayed home buying, are emerging into their key buying years. They are predicted to keep home sales and condo sales strong well into 2020,…

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What's Scarier Than Living In A Haunted House This Halloween Season?

Posted by Cary W Porter on September 30th, 2016

The Only Thing Scarier Than Selling Your Home is Realizing How Much You Overpaid on Commissions!

Home Seller Marketing Has Changed

Leveraging The Latest In Real Estate Marketing Technology

A solid real estate marketing plan is very important. It takes more than a MLS listing, sign, some paper flyers, and an open house to sell your home in today’s market. Make sure your real estate agent has real leading edge housing market intelligence. Our leading edge marketing plan is designed to sell your house as quickly as possible.

A FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FOR HOME SELLERS

The Cascade Team provides a full service experience that is a step above; by executing a marketing plan that is unique to your home, rich in technology…

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Safety Benefit of Smart Homes for Owners and Agents

Posted by Cary W Porter on September 28th, 2016

The latest technology doesn’t just make properties more marketable. Learn how to use these smart devices to thwart danger when you’re out in the field.

Sure, smart-home devices can make a property more desirable, but have you considered how they can keep you safe as a listing agent or when showing homes to buyers? Open houses and vacant properties are the top places where real estate professionals report encountering threatening situations, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2016 Member Safety Report. Tara Christianson, technology and training director at Century 21 Redwood Realty in Arlington, Va., recently hosted a webinar and offered tips on how smart devices can protect your client’s property and yourself.

• Smart…

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Red vs. Blue States: Which Has the Best Homes? Hillary or Donald: Who’s Better For Housing?

Posted by Cary W Porter on September 26th, 2016

 

When it comes to Republican red-voting states, Democrat blue-voting states or the swing states, who fares the best in real estate? The National Association of Realtors research team evaluated the data to see which has the biggest homes, priciest residences, and the most home owners.

Note: The states that were considered swing states (and identified as “purple” in the study) were Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Priciest homes: Blue states

The median home value in blue states is $301,000, about 91 percent more than some of the more conservative areas of the country. Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and California have the most expensive homes in the country.…

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Sammamish is Only Washington City Ranked as Money Magazine "Best Places To Live"

Posted by Cary W Porter on September 22nd, 2016

AT A GLANCE
Population	50,248
Median Home Price	$802,275
Property Tax	$7,179
Unemployment rate	4.3%
Commute time	28 minutes

Until recently, Sammamish was probably best described as an enclave of leafy neighborhoods rather than a city in its own right. Located about 20 miles from Seattle, the city sits on the east side of the seven-mile-long Lake Sammamish and wasn’t incorporated until 1999.

While Sammamish still lacks a proper “Main Street,” it ranks high because of its superb schools, proximity to major employers, and gobs of green space. The city is also making steady…

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Seattle Area Needs 73,135 New Single Family Housing Starts to Keep Pace With Growing Population

Posted by Cary W Porter on September 20th, 2016

Seattle Among Markets That Badly Need a Jolt of New Housing

There aren't enough new single-family homes being built in the U.S. Eighty percent of metro areas recently analyzed are faced with a “housing shortage crisis,” according to new research from the National Association of REALTORS®.

NAR reviewed new-home construction relative to job gains over a three-year period, from 2013 to 2015, in 171 metro areas. Markets in the West made up half of the top 10 areas with the largest shortages of newly built homes, NAR’s study shows.

The NAR analysis comes just as the Census Bureau released data on housing starts for August. On September 20, the bureau reported a drop in building permits for August 2016, compared with both July 2016 and…

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