March 13, 2014
Oregon and Southwest Washington I 2013 Fourth Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
The housing market continues to head higher in terms of both price and sales volumes. The number of homes for sale in the region is still well below historic levels, but I remain hopeful that 2014 will bring a much-needed boost to active inventory.
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February 20, 2014
Western Washington I 2013 Fourth Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
It is fair to say that 2013 was a pretty good year for those who were either looking to get back into the job market, or entering it for the first time.
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January 08, 2014
Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act Expires: IRS "Insolvency Clause" Offers Tax-Saving Protection
Posted in Market News by Richard Eastern
The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act expired December 31, 2013. The Act prevented homeowners who go through a short sale or foreclosure from being taxed on the amount of their mortgage debt that has been forgiven.
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December 19, 2013
Oregon and Southwest Washington I 2013 Third Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
In the third quarter of 2013, the region reported 11,064 home sales—a modest decline of six percent over the second quarter of the year, but still a 17 percent increase over the same period in 2012. Year to date, there have been over 30,000 home sales, an increase of close to 5,000 units when compared to the same period a year ago.
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November 15, 2013
Western Washington I 2013 Third Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
The double-digit price growth that we have experienced over the past year or so is set to taper—which is not a bad thing. It is pleasing to see an increase in homes for sale in many markets throughout Washington. The market is demonstrating stability, and buyers are increasingly comfortable with the view that home buying is not an inherent risk.
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October 02, 2013
The Government Shutdown: How It Could Impact Home Buyers
Posted in Market News by Erik Hand, President, Windermere Mortgage Services
There is much speculation on the impact that the current government shutdown will have on home buyers hoping to secure a mortgage. In the case of mortgage lending, the impact will depend on many things including the length of the shutdown, the current status of the loan, the borrower profile, and the lender’s modified guidelines during the shutdown period.
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August 14, 2013
Oregon and Southwest Washington | Second Quarter 2013, Volume XXII
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
I expect that the market will continue to recover, relative to price, but I also expect to see price growth start to moderate, especially if interest rates continue trending upward.
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August 07, 2013
Western Washington | second quarter 2013, Volume XXII
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
We have been looking for balance within the real estate market for several years now. During the crash, there were clearly far more sellers than buyers, but when we found the bottom of the market and prices started to rise, the tables were turned with considerably more buyers than sellers. In as much as we are still far from truly finding the market equilibrium that we have all been waiting for...
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May 21, 2013
The Gardner Report: Oregon & Southwest Washington I First Quarter 2013, Volume XXI
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
On an annualized basis, the Oregon counties covered in this report increased employment by 0.92 percent, or approximately 15,590 jobs, a further—albeit modest—improvement from the 0.8 percent annual growth that was discussed in our last report. On a year-over-year basis, 19 counties saw their employment base expand and five saw employment contract.
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May 16, 2013
The Gardner Report: Western Washington, First Quarter 2013, Volume XXI
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
Generally speaking, I see steady improvement in the regional economy, which is pleasing. Employment growth is evident in a vast majority of the counties analyzed in this report, and unemployment rates continue to improve.
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