housing market: The 2024 Spring Market has Sprung
- 02/16/24 04:14 PM
The 2024 Spring Market has Sprung Today I want to talk about our spring market, because spring has sprung! There is a very busy market out there. If you look at open house attendance, it is up. If you look at pending numbers, pending numbers are up in most areas. People want to buy. They have been waiting too long to buy.
Also, while interest rates are just holding still, people are finding ways to get out of the homes that they haven't wanted to stay in. This past year, 2023, has been a year that I would describe as … (8 comments)
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housing market: Where is Housing Headed?
- 11/14/23 11:49 AM
Where is Housing Headed? 2024 will be a pivotal year for the housing industry. Do you have the information you need to take advantage of tomorrow's opportunities?
Robust housing unit goals, mortgage interest rates, energy code compliance, extreme lack of housing inventory, all-encompassing state housing bills, a struggling commercial real estate sector, an uncertain economy, and more have all left their marks on the housing sector this past year. What can we expect for 2024?
I have already been digging headfirst into the data, cutting through the hype, and doing the research needed to provide YOU with the full story. … (2 comments)
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housing market: Summer Market Opportunities
- 07/25/23 03:22 PM
Summer Market Opportunities Today I want to talk about Summer real estate market opportunities - not just for selling, but for your buyers too! This is a fantastic time to be out there in real estate. Summer is a perfect time for both buyers and sellers.
First, let's talk about buying opportunities. If you have buyers right now that have not been able to find what they want, I desperately want you to get back in the MLS and scour for all listings that have been on the market longer than ninety-days. Those 90+ day opportunities are there because sellers … (6 comments)
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housing market: Breaking Through Housing Market Gridlock
- 06/26/23 04:10 PM
Breaking Through Housing Market Gridlock There is no doubt that buyers are in a tough spot with the rise in mortgage interest rates. Many buyers have simply assumed that they can't make a move because mortgage interest rates went up last year and haven't come back down. Although it seemed that the long-term interest rates (which relates to mortgage interest rates) might come back down if inflation stabilized, inflation is still higher than the Federal Government's target. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that inflation in January was 6.3% over January 2022 which has declined by May to … (4 comments)
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housing market: It's Not Only Affordability, It's About What People Actually Need
- 02/10/23 09:23 AM
Housing Shortage: It's Not Just About Affordability, It's About What People Actually Need "We need more affordable housing!" - the call for affordable housing comes from about every corner of the country. But the solution isn't as easy as building a bunch of apartment buildings with studio and one-bedroom units. It's not just about building block after block of townhomes. We also can't just build a glut of ramblers or ranch-style homes in subdivisions or only focus on rental product or product to sell.Although all of the above ARE part of the solution, in order to really get a handle … (3 comments)
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housing market: Your Voice is Needed
- 01/27/23 10:28 AM
Your Voice is Needed
Advocating for Housing in Your Community I don't know about you, but I walked away from the 2023 Real Estate Success Summit charged up and ready to really ramp up my voice when it comes to creating more housing and especially affordable housing in my community and throughout Washington State!
Since housing starts began to decline after the Great Recession, and then plummeted, I have been warning everyone who would listen about the challenges our housing market would be facing if more homes could not be built. In fact, I predicted that the spring of 2021 would … (2 comments)
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housing market: Building the -Right- Inventory
- 01/20/23 10:58 AM
Building the Right Inventory Today I want to talk about Governor Inslee’s State of the State. I was really pleased to see such a strong focus on the on-going housing supply shortage. I’ve been talking about the lack of housing inventory since 2008 and the Great Recession. There are a lot of factors, since then, that have contributed to our current housing crisis.
The obvious solution is to build more houses, right? But there’s a lot more that goes into it. We need to be building the right kind of houses. It’s all about the right size, the right price, … (1 comments)
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housing market: Visually Communicating the Changing Market
- 11/14/22 12:48 PM
Visually Communicating the Changing Market The last six months have seen a lot of change to the real estate market. We have gone from a supercharged sellers’ market with buyers escalating prices tens and hundreds of thousands above asking price and waiving inspections, appraisals, and the works to rapidly-escalating mortgage rates which have applied the brakes to that market.
Headlines from the media would have us believe that the market is crashing and that there is a massive real estate bubble about to burst – “it is 2008 all over again!” Potential home buyers and sellers see these sensational headlines … (1 comments)
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housing market: Announcing the 2023 Real Estate Success Summit
- 11/04/22 02:59 PM
Announcing the 2023 Real Estate Success Summit REGISTER ONLINE
Hello everyone and welcome to this week's Zebra Report. This week's report is special for two reasons - and I am very excited about this! The first is that today we are announcing opening registration for our amazing, sixth annual, 2023 Real Estate Success Summit. We will be hosting it at the Lynnwood Convention Center on this coming January 24th and it is going to be fantastic!
The second reason is that today I am joined by our incredible Director of Technology, Randy Bowers. Randy manages everything here at our office … (1 comments)
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housing market: 2022 Real Estate Predictions - Be Brave With Your Opinion!
- 12/17/21 10:08 AM
2022 Real Estate Predictions - Be Brave With Your Opinion!
The last two years have had an unprecedented effect on the economy, on the way we interact socially, on the way we shop, on education, and of course, on the real estate market. More than ever, your clients need to hear your voice when it comes to the real estate market and what they can expect in the coming year.
Many real estate agents are not comfortable looking into the future and making predictions. However, making a prediction is nothing more than making your best guess based on the … (2 comments)
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housing market: How Will You Prepare Your Business for 2022?
- 11/22/21 11:03 AM
How Will You Prepare Your Business for 2022?
Right now it is the fall real estate season. Maybe, just maybe, in your area you might have the sensation that the market has softened. Maybe just a little bit. And ho-boy, if you have been working hard all year long, this may feel like a long overdue and welcome moment.
But I've done my research. Have you? Because there is something you should know.
Our market is still in dire need of new inventory and there's no relief coming in 2022. So, how will you prepare for the coming year? … (5 comments)
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housing market: Six Pieces of Data to Wow Your Clients (and tell your market's story)
- 07/16/21 11:10 AM
Six Pieces of Data to Wow Your Clients
(and tell your market's story)
Most real estate agents consider themselves "people" people and aren't as comfortable with data, graphing, pulling numbers, etc. However, if you could master finding out how to pull just six pieces of data in your MLS, I guarantee you will be more confident in your buyer and seller consultations, will be able to drop numbers and trends in conversations, and will have plenty of content for sending out to your clients and posting on social media.
If you spent a total of one hour per month on … (10 comments)
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housing market: A Shifting Market? Here’s What You Need to Do!
- 06/04/21 05:04 PM
A Shifting Market? Here’s What You Need to Do!
The real estate market changes all the time as the balance between supply and demand and buyers and sellers changes. If you are seeing shifts in your market – perhaps more inventory is coming on the market, buyers go on vacation, or a new construction development brings on dozens of homes at once, it is important to make adjustments to accommodate those changes. I have seen markets where one day there are 45 multiple offers on a home and a week later there are price reductions on homes in a … (4 comments)
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housing market: You are Invited to the State of the Market
- 01/12/21 05:05 PM
You are Invited to the State of the Market
Today, I want to invite you to my State of the Market coming up at the end of January. It is so important—especially this year—to know what's been going on and what's happening right now in the market. There are changes coming in the new year. There are trends that started because of Covid. Bottom line: the market in 2021 is going to be very different.
You need to understand what the changes, challenges, and potential problems are. For example, how will forbearance paybacks affect your clients? What's going on … (1 comments)
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housing market: The Importance of Having a Strong Real Estate Voice
- 12/21/20 05:03 PM
The Importance of Having a Strong Real Estate Voice
One of the biggest challenges real estate agents face is confidence. Just about every agent I know suffers from lack of confidence from time to time. Agents who are new face challenges with confidence because they are concerned about their knowledge and expertise. Agents who are trying to tap into a new market or niche may also feel they are in over their heads. Even agents who have had success, but had a bad transaction or weren’t successful in a listing presentation may suffer from a temporary loss of confidence.
… (8 comments)
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housing market: Stay Focused on the Facts (Not Politics)
- 11/06/20 05:20 PM
Stay Focused on the Facts (Not Politics)
I have to weigh in on what's going on with the election. Probably by the time you read this, we will know who the President will be. But right now, I have clients that are panicking about how the election uncertainty is going to affect them. I want to remind them and you that life will go on and the market will go on.
No matter who the President is, you still have a responsibility to be calm with your clients and take care of their needs and concerns. I strongly encourage … (3 comments)
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housing market: Busy Holiday Season on the Horizon
- 09/28/20 01:01 PM
Busy Holiday Season on the Horizon
I know we're only in September, and just coming into October, but I cannot tell you how many phone calls I've received asking if October, November, and December will be a good time to sell a house. During a normal year, we see a predictable decline in inventory and in active buyers. But this year, we've had to deal with Covid, which has been a huge game-changer. I think that this December is going be full of opportunities that we have not seen in 20 years!
Watch the video to hear my thoughts … (1 comments)
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housing market: Leveraging Your Superpower
- 05/08/20 01:55 PM
Leveraging Your Superpower
This week I want to talk about your superpower, yes you have one! I want to define it, explain it and show you how to put it to work for you.
There are so many real estate agents in the field today and there are specific reasons that a client is attracted to working with you. There is just that "something special" that you have that they felt they needed or were attracted to. It could be that you come across as being very thorough or detail oriented. Maybe you are friendly and easily to talk … (3 comments)
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housing market: Don't Believe the Headlines
- 05/06/20 01:25 PM
Don't Believe the Headlines
I thought it was really important that I address all of the headlines that are out there. You cannot look online. You cannot look in your email. You are probably getting text messages out there about the real estate market.
First of all, I want to talk a little about the fundamentals of our market and why today is very different from our Great Recession back in 2008. I want to talk about then and now. Then, anybody could get a mortgage. Literally one or two or three! Today, not so much. The lending criteria … (0 comments)
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housing market: A Health Crisis, Not a Housing Crisis = Opportunity!
- 05/01/20 04:37 PM
A Health Crisis, Not a Housing Crisis = Opportunity!
The fundamentals of a strong real estate market are simple: Strong demand and a healthy supply makes for a good real estate market. But what happens when the world is faced with a health crisis and real estate agents are faced with the challenge of having to navigate unchartered territory?
Whenever I am uncertain about any real estate market-related issue, I always follow the facts. I decided to go into my local MLS today to see just how much opportunity is out there right now for sellers.
Many sellers are … (1 comments)
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