Art & Home | Nature’s Embrace

The latest volume of Art & Home is here! This month, Iyna Bort Caruso reflects on private, peaceful and artfully designed gardens.

Extraordinary gardens share intimacies with the estates they embrace, delighting homeowners in ways that are both subtle and profound.

They are nothing if not personal. The palettes that captivate, the fragrances that enchant, the views that charm are singularly unique. Together these elements deliver a romanticized view of a small green universe to the point where the mere act of wandering through a garden can feel like a celebration of nature.

Explore the latest edition of Art & Home!

Realogics Sotheby's International Realty Presents the Market Report: Puget Sound Real Estate Trends; 2015 Year in Review

Realogics Sotheby's International Realty (RSIR) presents the Market Report: Puget Sound Real Estate Trends & 2015 Year in Review,  a comprehensive look at the 2015 real estate market in an exploration of seven key counties of Western Washington: King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, Jefferson and Island counties, as well as 29 neighborhoods for our current and prospective clients. The report touches on macroeconomic trends, the primary demand drivers influencing our regional real estate market in addition to micro markets that vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood.

The year 2015 witnessed white-hot real estate conditions throughout the Puget Sound not seen since before the Great Recession. Prices of real estate throughout the Puget Sound catapulted higher in 2015, the result of tight supply and an influx of new buyers. A similar trajectory is expected in 2016: expanding demand, anemic supply and developers playing catch up to increasing homeownership levels.

The Puget Sound region has taken a different path from other boomtowns in North America whose economies are based on resource extraction (e.g., oil), financial intermediation, or entertainment. Seattle’s aerospace industry has gradually yielded its eminence to the service expansion and new product development cycles of the information tech industry and their secondary employment effects on IT contractors, food & beverage businesses, and real estate developers.

Besides drawing new residents domestically from other U.S. states, the Puget Sound benefits from the state’s importance as a gateway to trade with Asia, as well as from international air travel to and from Sea-Tac International Airport. The Sound’s proximity to international communities across the broader region from Vancouver, British Columbia to Los Angeles and San Diego is also a factor, as is the superior quality of life in the region and its comparative affordability in respect to those other markets. The international eminence that results from these features of our local economy has allowed the area to attract growing numbers of immigrants from overseas and recognition as a global gateway city.

As always, for the most current market information around the corner or around the world, reach out to one of RSIR’s Global Real Estate Advisors by visiting www.RSIR.com.

Tips for First Time Homebuyers

A recent article by My Northwest describes 5 things buyers do that can cause agents distress and strain the client/realtor relationship:

1. Try and see beyond the current look of the home. As the article describes, "real estate professionals say they wish more clients could get past the aesthetics of the house, especially since so many of the items that bother them are easily fixable."
2. Focus on more than just finances. Sure, it's important to be prepared to purchase, but it is also key to remember that "it's not necessarily the highest offer that the seller will accept, but rather the best structured offer combining timing, price and reasonable contingencies." That is why it is key to have an agent who is on your side and can allow you to make informed decisions regarding all aspects of the transaction.
3. In this fast-paced real estate market, timing can be everything and you won't always have a substantial amount of time to commit to a decision. "If too much time passes between a buyer viewing a home and making an offer, the seller might not take another party who quickly expressed interest and maintained communication."
4. Do not talk to the listing agent without your realtor by your side. As the article says, "the listing agent is there to get the most money for the seller, not save the buyer money," which is why you need your own advocate throughout the process.
5. When making a counter offer, don't "lowball" - going back and forth can be a frustrating process for agents and more often than not, is counterproductive as it offends the seller(s).