Eastside Bubble

Trends in Luxury Home Improvement

Even though the current housing market in general is experiencing a readjustment, the luxury home market is still moving. Many owners of high end properties see their homes as long term investments as well as a great place to live, and they are putting their money into improvements. Harvard University’s Housing Studies Center estimated that $160 billion was spent on home improvements last year, and much of that went for the latest in luxury upgrades.

What Headquarters Can Provide to Franchised Real Estate Offices

Several real estate companies in our State operate with “franchisees.” There is a main service company and then there are the independently owned offices. The individual offices carry the common brand and find advantage in the advertising and reputation that the mother company generates for that brand. Other than brand, there are other services the mother company can and does provide: e.g., education, bridge loan programs, web sites, marketing, a common charitable foundation.

Federal Reserve announces it will initiate a program to purchase the direct obligations of housing-related government-sponsored enterprises and mortgage-backed securities backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae

The Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday that it will initiate a program to purchase the direct obligations of housing-related government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)–Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks–and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Ginnie Mae. Spreads of rates on GSE debt and on GSE-guaranteed mortgages have widened appreciably of late.

Selling Your Home for the Holidays

If you want to sell (or buy) a home, conventional wisdom dictates that you should wait until the holiday season is over. It’s generally assumed that people are too busy shopping for gifts and won’t shop for real estate. However, while home sales usually slow down between November and January, they certainly do not stop!

Forbes Names Seattle Real Estate Market Most Likely to Rebound

Here is some good news for our Seattle Real Estate Market. Forbes.com listed Seattle the best city to invest in real estate.

NWMLS Report - Waiting for a Sign

The Norwest Multiple Listing Service issued its report on November 6, 2008, giving the state of the market.  Here’s a summary.

Sales off. October’s pending sales fell more than 27 percent from the same month a year ago, and dropped nearly 26 percent from September. All counties reported double-digit drops.
Buyers in stays. A unique and historic [...]

King County Median Home Price - Now Under $400k

Housing activity for Northwest Multiple Listing Service members was disappointing last month, but not surprising, according to one industry executive. He and other representatives of the Northwest’s largest MLS believe the situation is improving.

Maple Valley, Issaquah, Renton, by the numbers

Below are three dynamic graphs (automatically updated every week) comparing Maple Valley, Issaquah, and Renton real estate from a macro perspective. If you would like to see three alternative cities compared please email us at info@eastsidebubble.com

Real Estate Auction In Bellevue/ Redmond, Washington

Homes for auction in Bellevue and Redmond, Washington?  I noticed the first signs I’d ever seen for the auction of residential real estate in the Overlake area of Redmond/Bellevue, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Microsoft.
I’d just left a meeting with a client in a nearby neighborhood and was surprised to stumble upon [...]

What Were The Chances Of Selling a Home on Seattle’s Eastside in September, 2008?

The chances of selling a home on the Eastside in September 2008 ranged from a low of 8% to a high of 19%, with an average 12% absorption rate. (The absorption rate is the number of homes for sale in any given month divided by the actual number of homes sold that month.) Numbers will be rounded off to the nearest whole [...]

Bellevue, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, real estate by the numbers.

Below are three dynamic graphs (automatically updated every week) comparing Bellevue, Issaquah, and Snoqualmie real estate from a macro perspective. If you would like to see three alternative cities compared please email us at info@eastsidebubble.com

Ten20 hosting exclusive event for Real Estate Agents

Ten20 is hosting an exclusive event for our local Real Estate Agents and Brokers on November 6, 2008 from 5pm-8pm. We have a wonderful referral program that offers up to $5,000.00 per referral and are excited to share more details with you at our upcoming event.

Woodinville Wire - November 2008

WOODINVILLE CITY NEWS
Construction Updates:

NE 175th Street and 131st Ave NE Intersection Improvements (BNRP SE LEG):
During November, the City expects that the following construction activities will occur near this intersection: continue roadway excavation on 132nd Ave., restore the grounds at the northern portion of Wilmot Gateway Park, and street paving along the project site. 
Please [...]

Updated Renton Real Estate, Newcastle Real Estate & South Bellevue Real Estate Market Statistics (As of October 27th, 2008)

These numbers are based on a three month historical analysis that compares this week with last week.
MLS Area 500 (Newcastle, Bellevue South of I-90 & Issaquah South of I-90)
Single Family Homes
Average Days on Market: 107 Days (Up from 105 last period)
Inventory of Active Listings: 542 (Up from 541 last period)
Inventory of Sold & Pending Listings: [...]

Washington Foreclosure Rate Low

The Washington Realtor News (Nov/Dec 2008) tells us that Washington State stands pretty well on foreclosures in the housing market. Washington is currently performing 62% better than the national rate.

An Oasis of Elegance: Le Chateau - Bellevue, WA

Le Chateau – just the name sounds like an elegant European destination. For those “in the know” about Bellevue condominiums, it is a well kept secret. Located between downtown Bellevue and I-90 just off of Richards Rd., Le Chateau is a unique complex that incorporates value, location and sophistication slightly off the beaten path.

Evergreen Virtual Advisor - Investment Newsletter by David Hay

Past EVAs have noted that the trailing 10-year return on the stock market now trails that of the 1930 to 1939 period. As you can see from the chart below, the last decade is now essentially tied with the fourth worst 10-year period going all the way back to the 1830s.

Best of the Northwest Comes to the Bravern

After assembling a stellar offering of world-class fashion and lifestyle retailers at The Bravern in downtown Bellevue, developer Schnitzer West announced today that the European-inspired outdoor village will also be home to a Best of the Northwest collection that includes Sur La Table, Eye Society, Dilettante Mocha Cafe and Silberman/Brown Stationers, in addition to the previously announced Wild Ginger and John Howie Steak restaurants.

Foreclosure Activity Decreases 12 Percent in September According to RealtyTrac(R) U.S. Foreclosure Market Report

RealtyTrac(R) (http://www.realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report(TM) for September 2008 and Q3 2008.

Mortgage Rates Plunge on Signs of Credit Thaw

Mortgage rates reversed course in a big way this week, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropping from 6.74 percent to 6.32 percent. According to Bankrate.com’s weekly national survey, the average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.39 discount and origination points.