Busted! Myths Both Buyers and Sellers Believe About The Current Market

In today's wild market, there are plenty of bad ideas on both sides of the buyer/seller equation. Here's how to correct those misconceptions so that everyone can get what they want.

The current market has buyers and sellers on pause. Interest rates have certainly put a damper on many would-be buyers and sellers’ plans. Depending on their budget, where they want to go or what kind of property they are looking for, inventory may be a concern, as well as insurance. 

Everyone seems to be in a state of flux. Many would-be buyers who are renting are continuing to do so, even though the landlord raised their rent, and while not ideal, they don’t know what else to do.

Sellers, despite being able to cash out and make some good equity, cannot make the…

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The Cascade Team Voted Neighborhood Favorite on NextDoor!

The Cascade Team is extremely honored to be recognized as the “Neighborhood Favorite” in Issaquah by NextDoor!

Thank you to our neighbors! We are honored to be voted a 2023 @Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave. This award means so much for our business and helps us become more recognizable in our community.

“Neighbors know best, and Nextdoor’s Neighborhood Faves are the only annual awards celebrating the businesses that are most loved by locals. This prestigious recognition is only awarded to 1% of the local businesses on Nextdoor and is a testament to the positive impact they have had on their community,” said Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar.

At The Cascade Team we understand first and foremost that it isn't about "Us". It's all about "You"! We are…

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UPDATED: 2023 Real Estate Market Predictions

Here is the link to my original 2023 PREDICTIONS

In early January we made our top 10 real estate predictions for 2023. So now, with the year a little more than half over, we are going to review and revise that same forecast and see where we actually are.

Original prediction: Sales prices will fall in 2023.

The most significant forecast was that sales prices would fall in 2023 without any sort of systemic decline in values. So far, prices are down by about 12% year over year; however, prices rose by 3.6% from March to April.

Taking into account interest rates remaining in the high 6% range currently we are standing by our original prediction that the median sales price for 2023 will be lower than that of 2022 however we do not anticipate…

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Introducing the VIP Buyer Program

CHOOSE CARY AND KEENAN TO HELP YOU BUY YOUR NEXT HOME

At The Cascade Team we understand first and foremost that it isn't about "Us". It's all about "You"! We are dedicated to giving each of our clients the best experience imaginable. Simply Outrageous Service isn’t just a catch phrase for us. It’s how we do business!

From day one we’ll be with you every step of the way. We’ll keep you informed, we’ll be there through the tough negotiations, and we’ll help you make the right decisions for your family.

Our dedication to your successful dealings (buying or selling) are unwavering. We firmly believe in the WOW factor. And when you work with The Cascade Team that’s what we intend to deliver. Service and Quality that are so far beyond your expectations,…

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Project Crayon Drive Collection This Weekend

 Help us Brighten a Child's Life!

We will be live collecting Crayons for Children's Hospital of Seattle this weekend at the following locations:

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Klahanie QFC 10am-2pm
4570 Klahanie Dr SE
Issaquah, WA 98029 

Kirkland Urban QFC 12pm-2pm
425 Urban Plaza Suite 100
Kirkland, WA 98033

Snoqualmie Ridge Safeway 10:00am-2pm
34828 SE Douglas St
Snoqualmie, WA 98065

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Kirkland Urban QFC 12pm-2pm
425 Urban Plaza Suite 100
Kirkland, WA 98033

Cottage Lake Safeway 12pm-3pm
19150 NE Woodinville Duvall Rd
Woodinville, WA 98077

Last Project Crayon Drive, we collected over 210,000 crayons and we would love to beat that amount this year!

Various crayon drives will be held on weekends throughout the…

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2022 Housing Market Recap and 2023 Market Predictions

2022 Recap

2023 Predictions

National and Industry-Wide Headlines

What began as an extension of 2021’s high-flying real estate frenzy soon enough tumbled and fell to a near standstill by the Federal Reserve’s hiking of interest rates, rendering borrowing costs too pricy for most would-be homebuyers, who, no matter how hard they tried, couldn’t bend the numbers to their will. 

As rates rose, existing-home sales fell, builders pumped the brakes, price growth decelerated, and property sat on the sidelines far longer than forecasted. Real estate companies, meanwhile, braced for lean times after riding high through most of 2020 and 2021, with thousands of workers laid off and quarterly earnings reports showing losses — in some cases, to an…

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Let’s “Talk Turkey” About Selling Your Home (5 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME AROUND THANKSGIVING)

With everything going on from Holiday parties to shopping and visits from the in-laws we know that it’s easy to turn away from listing and selling your home during the holidays. Plus, almost everyone says the market slows down in the Winter and you should just wait until Spring, right? WRONG!

While it’s true the market is usually slower around the holidays, the current market trends of constrained inventory and desperate buyers have in fact made the Holidays an excellent time to put your house up for sale. With fewer sellers listing during the Holiday period, buyers are left sitting around with pre-approval letters in-hand just starving for inventory!

Here are 5 TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME AROUND THANKSGIVING

1. Make Curb Appeal a Top…

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Sammamish, Redmond, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Kirkland Ranked in Top 100 Best America’s Small Cities

Led by Sammamish at No. 12, five towns in the Seattle metro area ranked among the top 100 Best Small Cities in America, according to a recent analysis by WalletHub.

WalletHub compared more than 1,300 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 across five metrics, including affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life and safety. The cities were also compared across 43 livability indicators, including housing costs, quality of school systems and number of restaurants per capita. 

Sammamish was No. 12 overall among the 1,300 cities measured, finishing 30th for safety, 75th for education and health, 89th for economic health and 183rd for affordability. 

Redmond was No. 21 on the list, boosted by its ranking of…

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“Oh, Hell No!” Mortgage Rates Hit 6.66% Just in Time For Halloween

I personally would say “Hell No” to this rate. Up or down a fraction of a percentage please before I locked this one in!

The rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 6.66% this week, down from 6.70% one week ago, mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac reported on Thursday. Last year at this time, the typical rate was 2.99%.

The interest rate on the most popular home loan in America has fallen for the first time in seven weeks, ending a streak that pushed borrowing costs to their highest point since 2007.

Yet even with the decline, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is still more than double what it was last year.

Text “BOO” to (425) 223-4655 for a Free Value Analysis

Unfortunately for borrowers, this week’s dip was just a small…

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ATTENTION HOME OWNERS! New Real Estate Commission "Now Compensation" Rules Start October 3rd 2022

You may be aware of a new rule change from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service regarding “Offering” a Buyer’s Agent Compensation (We no longer use the term Commission). While it’s a confusing topic for both consumers and real estate agents alike, The Cascade Team has put together some Questions and Answers on the topic.

What is a “Fair” amount to pay for real estate compensation?

“Fair” is whatever you and the agent decide is fair, and just as you are not under any obligation to pay more than you want, the agent is not under any obligation to do business with you if they are not going to earn what they expect.

The Cascade Team will charge a total of 2% compensation to sell your home if the buyer comes unrepresented.

This includes full…

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