The Cascade Team Blog - Real Estate News

What Thieves Are Most After in Homes (State By State Stats!)

Posted by Cary W Porter on July 24th, 2017

See Related: Safety Benefit of Smart Homes for Owners and Agents

Here are some sobering stats from the FBI: A robbery occurs every 1.6 minutes in the U.S., a burglary every 18.2 seconds, and a larceny theft every 5.4 seconds.

SafeHome, a home security systems reviews resource, analyzed FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data from 2015 to determine the items thieves most commonly target.

The most stolen items were classified as miscellaneous valuables, jewelry, and precious metals, according to the report. In some states, certain thefts were more common than others. For example, in Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, and Colorado, thieves were more likely to target diamonds, gold, silver, and other jewelry. Meanwhile, clothing was the most stolen items in…

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Be Aware Of These Common Home Buyer Slip-Ups

Posted by Cary W Porter on July 13th, 2017

Buying a home—especially if it’s your first—can be a lot like losing weight in the sense that people end up doing, well, some pretty dumb stuff in the process. But while desperate dieters might waste money on “magical” weight-loss pills or silly exercise equipment (remember the shake weight?), misguided home buyers could be doing far more serious damage—like undermining their ability to purchase a house at all. Don't be one of them! The Cascade Team is here to shed light on some of the dumbest reasons people can't buy a home. The good news? These flubs are easily avoidable. Read on and beware.

1: Waiting to line up financing

Your first step in the home-buying process should be to meet with a mortgage lender to discuss your financing options.…

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Living with Coyotes as Neighborhoods Develop

Posted by Cary W Porter on July 10th, 2017

In literally all of the markets that The Cascade Team services we have neighborhoods and developments intermixing with local coyote populations. I live in Sammamish, WA and often see them in the mornings when I run Soaring Eagle Park between 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning and a recent posting on Nextdoor Trossachs the neighborhood I live in reported a mother and 2 to 3 pups having a den in one of the many local greenbelts.

The same can be said for Doug Young and the Team in Arizona, Kent in Denver, James out in Spokane and so forth.

For the most part coyotes may prey on a small, unattended pet, but are generally scared of people. If you do run into members of the local coyote population here are a few tips to remember.

Protecting yourself and…

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“Typical Summer Slowdown” In Housing Market May Mean Opportunities For Frustrated House Hunters

Posted by Cary W Porter on July 6th, 2017

KIRKLAND, Washington (July 6, 2017) – For frustrated house hunters, there’s hope: the volume of new listings added to inventory during June (13,658) was the highest total for any single month since May 2008 (14,176 new listings), according to the latest statistics from Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

“This time of year we see more new listings coming on the market than pending sales, and June didn’t disappoint,” stated J. Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott.
Noting the pace of sales is slowing and the number of multiple offers is moderating, broker Gary O’Leyar suggested a summer breather is under way (as anticipated), which could yield “the season for a successful purchase” for weary shoppers. O’Leyar, the designated broker/owner at…

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Where You Legally Can and CanNOT Set Off Fireworks in the Greater Seattle Area

Posted by Cary W Porter on July 3rd, 2017

 

King County

– Allowed on July 4th, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight

Algona – Banned
Auburn – Banned
Beaux Arts Village – Banned
Bellevue – Banned
Black Diamond – Allowed on July 4th, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight
Bothell – Allowed on July 4th, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Burien – Banned
Carnation – Banned
Clyde Hill – Banned
Covington – Allowed on July 4th, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. midnight
Des Moines – Banned
Duvall – Allowed on  July 4th, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m
Enumclaw – Allowed on July 4th, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Federal Way – Banned
Hunts Point – Banned
Issaquah – Banned
Kenmore – Banned
Kent – Banned
Kirkland – Banned
Lake Forest Park – Banned

You may be able to buy fireworks at a stand like this, but only certain cities will allow you to ignite them.…

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Snoqualmie Ridge 4th Of July Celebration and Parade

Posted by Cary W Porter on June 29th, 2017

4th of July Celebration!

Please come join The Cascade Team for the Snoqualmie Ridge 4th of July Celebration and Parade!  The Cascade Team Real Estate is proud to serve the Snoqualmie Ridge community and provide FREE sno-cones and give-away prizes for the 12th straight year!   The festivities start at 10:30am at Cascade View Elementary School with a parade.   Show your spirit and decorate your bikes, tricycles, skateboards, scooters, wagons, etc. in red, white, and blue and come walk or ride in the parade as it makes it way to the Community Park!   It’s a free event open to the Snoqualmie community and typically attended by thousands every year.  So grab your family, your red, white and blue – and see you at the park!  

…

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Hall-Of-Fame Results Updates! Two Homes Each Sold $300k OVER Asking!

Posted by Cary W Porter on June 26th, 2017

Just wanted to send a quick shout out about two recent listings that both went for more than $300,000 OVER asking price!    Jennifer Beeler who works in our Woodinville office is first on the list.   Her Clyde Hill Listing came on the market for $2,589,000 and sold in only 2 days for $311,000 OVER asking price! Her clients saved an additional $58,000 in commissions by using The Cascade Team's Full Service for 1% Listing Fee model accounting for a total value to her clients of $369,000!   Just amazing!   About Jennifer:

I am a Washington native and real estate professional serving my hometown of Woodinville and the greater Seattle area.

My passion for real estate began at the age of 18 when I bought my first condo. I have…

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Stunning South Lake Union Condo For Sale

Posted by Cary W Porter on June 22nd, 2017

$350,000 - 1526 Aurora Ave N, Seattle    Bedrooms: 2    Bathrooms: 1    Sq. Footage: 1,020    Year Built: 2005 effec    Garage Spaces: 1    Type: Condominium    MLS® Number: 1149107

OFFERED BY: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION:   Cary W Porter Designated Broker & Owner 425.891.7447 Schedule a Showing Request More Info Ideal location! Updated large two-bedroom condo w/ partial view of South lake Union, is a fantastic opportunity to own close to all the downtown activities & businesses. With new carpet and paint, this roomy home features a large living room, wood burning…

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How to Negotiate Repairs After a Home Inspection

Posted by Cary W Porter on June 22nd, 2017

 

Most would-be buyers and sellers believe the real estate “deal” is negotiated at the signing of the contract.

In many cases, the deal-making and negotiations only start at the contract signing. Even in more competitive real estate markets, negotiations still happen once in escrow.

Issues typically arise after the home inspection, and those issues tend to result in another round of negotiations for credits or fixes.

Here are three buyer tips for negotiating repairs after a home inspection.

1. Ask for a credit for the work to be done

The sellers are on their way out. If the property is moving toward closing, they’re likely packing and dreaming of their life post-sale. The last thing they want to do is repair work on their old…

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The Heat Is On: Some Sizzling Reasons to Buy a Home During Housing's Hottest Season

Posted by Cary W Porter on June 19th, 2017

By Rena Behar

The days are getting longer. Ice cream truck jingles echo up and down the block. But the surest sign that summer is here? It just might be those "For Sale" signs popping up like dandelions in your neighborhood.

Yep, we're smack dab in the middle of the most popular time of the year to buy and sell a home. If you're thinking of starting your home search, your first instinct as a savvy shopper might be to stay away and wait for the weather—and the market—to cool down. Why battle the crowds and bidding wars if you're in no rush to move?

1. Prices aren't necessarily higher

A huge myth about the real estate market is that homes sell for more in the summer and less in the winter. This is simply not true!

Let's be clear:…

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