My Listings

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Wa State Home Sales begin to Stabalize



Western Washington home sales during December nearly equals year-ago levelsKIRKLAND, Wash. (Jan. 5, 2011) – December‟s volume of pending sales around Western Washington nearly matched the total for the same month a year ago, which was the best December since 2006.

Sellers accepted offers from 4,359 buyers last month, only 40 fewer than a year ago when members of Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported 4,399 pending sales of single family homes and condominiums. In 2008, members notched 3,255 pending sales, down from 2007‟s total of 3,950 pendings and the 2006 figure of 5,744 mutually accepted offers.

Eight counties had year-over-year increases in pending sales for December, with two others equaling the year-ago totals.

“If you were in any mall in Washington state in December, you got the feeling that the economy is headed in the right direction,” said OB Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate Company and a member of the board of directors of Northwest Multiple Listing Service. “That increase in consumer confidence is the boost the real estate market needs,” he suggested.

Closed sales, another barometer of activity, improved on November‟s volume, but dipped about 6 percent when compared to figures from twelve months ago. MLS members reported 4,430 closings across its 21-county service area during December. A year ago, brokers logged 4,711 completed transactions.

For 2010, Northwest MLS members tallied 52,408 closed sales of single family homes and condos (combined), up slightly from the previous year when there were 52,105 completed transactions.

“Despite the expiration of the tax credit, King County saw about 3 percent more home sales in 2010 than in 2009,” Jacobi noted.

The area-wide median price for last month‟s closed sales of homes and condos was $255,000, up slightly from November‟s figure of $250,000, but down about 3.8 percent from a year ago when the median selling price was $265,000. In King County, where 40 percent of last month‟s closings occurred, the median sales price was $342,400, about 2.2 percent lower than a year ago when it was $350,000.

Listing activity tapered off last month compared to 12 months ago. Northwest MLS members added 5,460 new listings of single family homes and condominiums during December. That‟s down 7 percent from a year ago when 5,873 sellers listed their homes with a member-broker.

Last month‟s additions boosted system-wide inventory to 32,171 at month end. That number nearly equals the selection of a year ago when the NWMLS database encompassed 32,152 active listings, although thirteen counties have fewer properties for sale than at this time a year ago.

Measured by months supply (the time, in months, that it would take to sell existing inventory at the current rate of sales), there is a supply of less than 7.4 months across the NWMLS market area. (A market with a supply of approximately six months is considered balanced, favoring neither buyers nor sellers.)

Nationwide, the National Association of REALTORS® reported a 9.5-month supply. Both King and Snohomish counties have less than a 6-month supply.

“Buyers are taking their time and looking for the „perfect‟ house,” Jacobi observed. “One of our agents worked with a couple for over a year before a higher-end home they'd been eying for months had a price drop and they jumped on it,” he noted, adding, “Whether it's a starter home or a luxury property, to sell in today's market a great home also needs to have a great price.”

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, described continuing gains in home sales as encouraging and believes all the indicator trends are pointing to a gradual housing recovery. “In addition to exceptional affordability conditions, steady improvements in the economy are helping bring buyers into the market,” he commented. However, he cautioned, further gains are needed to reach normal levels of sales activity, and home price prospects will vary depending largely upon local job market conditions.

NAR president Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I., expects good buying opportunities to continue. The third generation real estate professional noted serious buyers have a lot of opportunities during the winter months since “traditionally there are far fewer buyers competing for properties at this time of year.” He believes buyers will enjoy favorable affordability conditions into the new year, even though he expects mortgage rates will gradually rise as 2011 progresses.

Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member brokers, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 24,000 brokers and agents. The organization, based in Kirkland, currently serves 21 counties in Western and Central Washington.

Snoqualmie Ridge 2010 Real Estate Review




*Prices drop a modest 3% Year over Year
*Sales Volume increases by 3%
*Average Day on Market come down by 21 Days.

In comparing 2010 Residential Sales at Snoqualmie Ridge to 2009 overall prices were fairly flat with volume and average days on market showing slight signs of improvement.

In 2009 Snoqualmie Ridge saw 179 Single Family Home Sales. In 2010 that number increased to 185. The Average Single Family Home at Snoqualmie Ridge sold for $493,569 in 2010. That is down for an average of $509,794 in 2009. (A drop of $16,370 for the average home or just over 3%)

In 2009 the average home was: 2,823 sq ft, took 142 Days on Market to sell, had an average starting list price of $559,424 and a final SALES price of $509,795

In 2010 the average home was: 2,876 sq ft, took 121 Day on Market to sell, had an average starting list price of $529,449 and a final SALES price of $493,569

All of these are very good trends after back to back years of double digit price drops in 2008 and 2009. We’re still a long way from moving 300+ homes in a year and seeing price improvement, but actual market stabilization may be seen by midyear and with rates remaining low and prices down to near 2003 levels it is very conceivable that we see well over 200 Single Family Homes move at Snoqualmie Ridge in 2011.

Monday, January 3, 2011

New Location for The Cascade Team RE Main Office




We are happy to announce a new location for the Main office of The Cascade Team Real Estate. We have secured the western side office in St George Square in Gillman Village in Issaquah.

We will be opening our doors in the new location on January 1st, 2011.

The address is: 355 NW Gilman Blvd., Suite 101, Issaquah, WA 98027

In celebration of the new location we are hosting a public Open House on Friday January the 7th from 4:00 until 7:00. Please feel free to stop in and say “Hello”. We will have appetizers, champagne on hand and also gifts for the public and for agents who stop in.