The Cascade Team Blog - Agent Tips

Local Real Estate Broker Caught on Camera Stealing Prescription Drugs From Home in Renton, WA

By KRISTEN DREW, KOMO News               Another reason why it's so important to make sure you know and trust the real estate professional you hire to market your home. This agent was affiliated with Windermere at the time on the incident.  

A real estate broker who claimed he was going to show a Renton home to a potential buyer was arrested for stealing prescription painkillers from the homeowner and it was all caught on camera.

See Related: Safety Benefit of Smart Homes for Owners and Agents

"I'm watching it live and I'm like, 'Holy cow, this guy is ripping me off,'" said Doug Wright, who put his home on the market last weekend.

Aaron Peterson, who was employed as a real estate broker for Windermere during the incident,…

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US HOUSING MARKET FORECAST AND PREDICTIONS 2017

Here are our U.S. housing market forecasts for 2017.

Housing markets in a handful of metro areas will continue to sizzle in 2017, while the rest of the country could experience a cooling trend. Mortgage rates will likely hover in the 3.5% range for the short term, but could rise above 4% through the first half of 2017. Loan limits could also rise in some parts of the country next year, in response to rising home values.

Let’s take a closer look at these and other housing market forecasts and predictions for 2017.

1. Home prices nationwide to rise 3% – 5% over next 12 months.

In October, the economic research team at Zillow issued this 12-month forecast for the U.S. housing market: “United States home values have gone up 5.1% over the past…

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Housing Market Forecasts and Predictions for 2017

Here are our U.S. housing market forecasts for 2017.

Housing markets in a handful of metro areas will continue to sizzle in 2017, while the rest of the country could experience a cooling trend. Mortgage rates will likely hover in the 3.5% range for the short term, but could rise above 4% through the first half of 2017. Loan limits could also rise in some parts of the country next year, in response to rising home values.

Let’s take a closer look at these and other housing market forecasts and predictions for 2017.

1. Home prices nationwide to rise 3% – 5% over next 12 months.

In October, the economic research team at Zillow issued this 12-month forecast for the U.S. housing market: “United States home values have gone up 5.1% over the past…

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The Stunning Cost of Home Improvement Scams and Fraud

More than one-third of homeowners fear being scammed by a home improvement contractor. These easy tips will help you spot a scam and dodge the defrauders.

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Resale Issues Buyers Don't Think About

Remind your clients that even if these “adverse situations” wouldn’t bother them as home owners, they could be the bane of their existence as sellers.

In 2001, when I first got my real estate license, I took a class at my brokerage about how to show properties. Seems silly, right? How hard is it to unlock the door? But this class was about practical ways to make sure the buyer focuses on the most important factors of a home. I still follow some of the tips from this class today. One of them was to advocate caution to a buyer considering a house with an “adverse situation.”

What’s that? It’s a condition that will affect the resale of the property. I remember the instructor saying, “When my past clients call me up and ask me to…

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The Most ‘Spooktacular’ ZIP Codes

Who believes in ghosts, anyway? But then again, there you are: alone, in the dim, waning hours of night, listening to that odd, undefinable rustling, whimpering noise right outside your bedroom window, and—wait a minute! Is that noise coming from inside the house?

Thirty-seven percent of Americans believe in haunted houses, according to a 2005 Gallup poll. For those who believe, some cities offer spookier home options than others.

To find the spookiest ZIP codes, ATTOM Data Solutions analyzed more than 40,000 single-family homes nationwide to find the highest number of vacant properties as well as those that have a home owner who is now deceased.

In Halloween fun, we've released a list of the following top 10 ZIP codes to find the most…

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Terror At Trossachs - Sammamish on Halloween Night Starting at 5:30

Halloween Night 2016!

Join The Cascade Team for the Terror At Trossachs! www.TerrorAtTrossachs.com

This annual event is on October, 31st “Halloween Night!” from 5:30 to 8pm

Located at 1014 270th Pl SE in Sammamish, WA

Read the Story of "The Haunted Graveyard" Located in The Trossachs Neighborhood of Sammamish Below and come visit us Halloween Night..... If You Dare!

Note: The Video included in the post may or may-not have been filmed on my phone with the additional help of the kids..... And my wife may or "May-not" have locked us outside in the rain afterwards and laughed as punishment! : )

Nestled deep in the Cascade foothills, hidden far from passing eyes by tall pine and towering rock laid the old cemetery. It was here…

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13 Schools in Sammamish/Issaquah in the Top 100 Schools Ranked by Diversity & Academics:

13 Lake Washington School and Issaquah School District elementary schools in Sammamish/Issaquah in the Top 100 Schools ranked by diversity & academics:

• 
  #10: Blackwell Elementary (LWSD)
  #11: Samantha Smith Elementary (LWSD)
  #18: McAuliffe Elementary (LWSD)
  #23: Discovery Elementary (ISD)
  #24: Cascade Ridge Elementary (ISD)
  #34: Margaret Mead Elementary (LWSD)
  #54: Endeavor Elementary (ISD)
  #63: Sunny Hills Elementary (ISD)
  #69: Emily Dickinson Elementary (LWSD)
  #83: Rachel Carson Elementary (LWSD)
  #87: Alcott Elementary (ISD)
  #97: Creekside Elementary (ISD)    
• #99: Challenger Elementary (ISD)

Full Report Card Here

Washington state — and the Puget Sound region in particular — is struggling to find the best way to educate students from all…

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Nightmare Neighbors And How To Deal With The Neighbor From Hell!

Just in time for Halloween 2016, we thought we would share a little info about an often overlooked yet still very serious problem of "The Nightmare Neighbor" issue.

Half of Americans say they currently have a dispute with a neighbor, according to a new survey from North American Van Lines.

In fact, 13 percent of Americans say they have moved just to get away from their next-door neighbor.

Take a look at this infographic to see the conflicts home owners are having with their neighbors.

How to Deal With the ‘Neighbor From Hell’

A messy neighbor can hamper your property–by as much as 20 percent off the market value, says Sid Davis, author of A Survival Guide to Selling a Home.

No one wants to live next to the neighbor with the…

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"Found Footage" Video For Terror At Trossachs 2016, Sammamish WA

Read the Story of "The Haunted Graveyard" Located in The Trossachs Neighborhood of Sammamish Below and come visit us Halloween Night..... If You Dare!

Note: The Video included in the post may or may-not have been filmed on my phone with the additional help of the kids..... And my wife may or "May-not" have locked us outside in the rain afterwards and laughed as punishment! : )

Nestled deep in the Cascade foothills, hidden far from passing eyes by tall pine and towering rock laid the old cemetery. It was here that the worst of the Pacific Northwest lay buried. They were the robbers, murderers, and worse that no church would allow to be set to rest on their sacred soil. Old stones covered in moss marked their graves, the black as night crows…

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