November 26, 2014
Oregon and Southwest Washington Real Estate Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
I am pleased that we can, at last, say that the Oregon economy is expanding. Although this rate of expansion is certainly not at the level that I would like to see, it is now outperforming the U.S. as a whole, which is a promising sign.
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November 20, 2014
Western Washington I 2014 Third Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
Our region’s economy continues to expand but the rate of growth is tapering. This is not surprising, and as long as we can continue to say that our region is growing at a faster rate than the country as a whole, we are in pretty good shape.
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August 28, 2014
Oregon and Southwest Washington Real Estate Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
The markets covered by this report are seeing their labor forces grow, which is encouraging. More people are either looking for work or have obtained positions. I think that the temporary slowdown that was seen in June is just a blip and that the market will return to positive employment growth as we move through the rest of the summer.
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August 19, 2014
Western Washington I 2014 Second Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
The average home price in Western Washington in the first half of 2014 was $355,335—up by 4.6 percent over the first half of 2013. As is seen in the chart to the right, all but four counties saw average sales prices rise compared to a year ago. Price growth has been tapering over the past year, but remains generally positive.
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May 29, 2014
Oregon and Southwest Washington I 2014 First Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
Home prices are certainly influenced by the number, quality and mix of homes that are being offered for sale. Many times, markets with limited supply demonstrate stronger price growth than markets where inventory is less tight.
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May 22, 2014
Western Washington I 2014 First Quarter Market Update
Posted in Market News by Matthew Gardner, Chief Economist, Windermere Real Estate
Washington State added just shy of 61,000 jobs over the past 12-month period, an annualized growth rate of 2.1 percent, while the markets covered by our report added 50,690 jobs (a 2.3 percent increase over a year ago).
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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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