The Cascade Team Blog - Cary Porter

Why There is No Need to Fear a Housing Bubble

We’ve all heard anecdotes of housing shortages and ridiculous all-cash offers.

The logical conclusion for many prognosticators is to call this yet another housing bubble.

I don’t think this is the case. Here’s why:

There are more credit-worthy borrowers. Yes, housing prices are rising at a rapid clip, but this is nothing like the subprime crisis. Just look at the credit scores for mortgage originations:

Loans are mostly being made to those with high credit scores and sizable down payments, the exact opposite of the subprime housing boom.

According to the Wall Street Journal, mortgage credit availability is near its lowest point since 2014. This means the banks pulling back on lending or households pulling back because they have…

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Double Header Open House Weekend for Trossachs in Sammamish!

The Cascade Team is proud to present a “Double Header Open House Weekend” for the Trossachs of Sammamish. From 1:00 until 4:00 this Saturday April the 10th come by and view these amazing homes.

Due to Covid restrictions we will be limiting the number of people in the home at any given time to two groups (Not to exceed 10 people). Agent appointments will be allowed every 15 minutes throughout the weekend with the exception of the Open House times.

Offers will be reviewed on Monday afternoon. If you have any questions or would like to view on of these properties, please call or text 425-891-7447

26568 SE 15th St, Sammamish

Listed at $1,999,999.

4 Bedrooms, Bonus Room, Office, Additional Office/Sitting room off Master, 3 Fireplaces, A/C…

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Bidding Wars, Escalating Prices, and Buyer Fatigue are Widespread.

•          Double-digit price hikes were widespread.
•          Mutually accepted offers surge 40.6% compared to February.
•          The drop in the number of active listings between now and last year is extraordinary.
•          Statistics show a 55.9% decline in total active listings, shrinking from 9,418 at the end of March 2020 to 4,153 at month end March 2021.
•          Seattle/Bellevue region now ranks #1 in technology office space leases, eclipsing San Francisco
•          Median prices system-wide surged 19.5% compared to a year ago.

KIRKLAND, Washington (April 7, 2021) – Brokers with Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) added 10,562 new listings to inventory during March -- the highest volume since September when they…

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Suck-It! Cary Porter’s Guide to Real Estate Greatness. Order your copy now!

I am very happy to announce the publication of my first non-fiction book: Suck-It! Cary Porter’s Guide to Real Estate Greatness.

With over 20 years’ experience in the real estate industry I’ve seen, been involved in, or helped agents through almost every type of deal and dilemma. We’ve had balanced markets, Buyers markets, Seller’s markets, the crash of 2007 and the craziness of today…. And through it all, when all else fails, it falls back to two little yet very impactful words: Suck It!

Inside you’ll find great real-life stories like this:

The Curmudgeon

An old man walked into our real estate office and approached one of our newer agents.

“What’s your name, sonny boy?”

“Hi, my name’s Jeff, and I’d love to—”

“Listen here Jeff, I…

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Are There Going to Be More Homes to Buy This Year?

The spring selling season is upon us, and while it’s traditionally the busiest time of year for real estate, this spring promises to be even more competitive than usual—particularly for first-time home buyers. With ultra-tight inventory and continually increasing home prices, it’s imperative that your buyers be ready to make an offer and move forward on a purchase contract at a moment’s notice.

Like many people across America right now, if you’re looking for a home to purchase right now and having trouble finding one, you’re not alone. At a time like this when there are so few houses for sale, it’s normal to wonder if you’ll actually find one to buy. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), across the country, inventory of available…

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Triple Open House Weekend For Trossachs and Montaine in Sammamish

The Cascade Team is proud to present a “Triple Open House Weekend” for the Trossachs and Montaine neighborhoods of Sammamish. From 1:00 until 4:00 this Saturday March the 13th come by and view these three (3) amazing homes.

Due to Covid restrictions we will be limiting the number of people in the home at any given time to two groups (Not to exceed 10 people). Agent appointments will be allowed every 15 minutes throughout the weekend with the exception of the Open House times.

Offers will be reviewed on Monday afternoon. If you have any questions or would like to view on of these properties, please call or text 425-891-7447

Stunning Buchan dream home in the Trossachs neighborhood of Sammamish can now be yours! Prepare to have your breath…

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March Madness For Area Home Prices 2021 Continues

•          Median prices rising by double digits across most of our counties.
•          Total active listings of single-family homes declined nearly 44% from a year ago.
•          We are virtually sold out of unsold inventory everywhere in the Central Puget Sound area except the Seattle city core.
•          Continuing low interest rates, jobs, and lifestyle changes are driving the real estate market.

KIRKLAND, Washington (March 4, 2021) – Housing activity during February remained hot around much of Washington state despite significant accumulation of lowland snow over the Valentine’s Day weekend, according to latest statistical report from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

“It’s amazing how close the February numbers are when…

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Home Is The Nicest Word There Is: Quotes to Survive the Home Search Process

Crazy seller, bad plumbing, wildly competitive open houses, misleading listings, sky-high prices, and ever-escalating offers: there is a terrible lot to contend with when finding a new place to live.

But there’s also no other process that deserves your time and attention like discovering a new place to call your own. Here are seven quotes that will help keep you sane during the emotional marathon that is the home search.

Condos Emerge As One Bright Spot For Buyers In Otherwise Frantic Sellers’ Market

“Home is the nicest word there is.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder Looking for a new home is a lot of work, but it’s important to remember that,…

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Snow Routes and Cold Weather Preparedness For Sammamish WA

With snow in the overcast for the next several days and a potential for 6 to 8 inches of accumulation we want to make sure everyone has the most up-to-date information for cold weather preparedness and snow routes.

The City of Sammamish receives a lot of questions about City procedures before, during, and after snow events. They have compiled many of them below with the answers from our Streets and Stormwater Division experts.  

How does the city prepare for snow and ice events and what happens when the snow hits?

• City of Sammamish has a snow plowing priority system in place to clear our 400 lane miles of public roads and over 730 cul-de-sacs
• Once a snow or ice event has been forecasted and the likelihood of snow is high, the crews…

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Latest Bidding War Results for Sellers

A FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FOR HOME SELLERS

A harbinger of the 2021 market is tight listing inventory, low interest rates, and high buyer demand continuing to drive momentum.

“Insatiable buyer demand” is keeping inventory scarce as house hunters try to outmaneuver and outbid each other, according to reports from Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). Its statistical summary for the end of 2020 showed strong activity throughout the holiday season with double-digit increases in new listings, pending sales, closed sales, and prices.

Measured by months of inventory, there is only about two weeks of supply (0.53 months) overall. Only five counties had more than a month of supply, well below the four-to-six months of supply used by…

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