Tips from The Cascade Team Agents

We hope that you are enjoying the look and feel of the New “Responsive” design of www.TheCascadeTeam.com. Along with providing full service real estate with 1% listing fees, here are some of the top new features that are now fully integrated into our new website to help enhance your customer experience.

  • Responsive “Quick-Search” box allows you to search any property by address, agent name, mls#, city or even street
  • Sliding price bar on MLS search parameters
  • Local vendor directory
  • Photos on listings can now be moved to the next photo by swiping (ipad and mobile devices)
  • Listing status preference on property searches (active, contingent, pending, etc.)
  • Live "Chat" with Broker/Agents
  • See Agent client testimonials/reviews and start…

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The Responsive web design from www.TheCascadeTeam.com will resize and reformat page content in response to screen size and resolution. In short, our responsive website is one that looks good and performs well on traditional computers, tablets and smartphone. Its one size fits all – no separate mobile version required!

If you consider that many potential buyers may start their home search on their laptop and then switch to their smartphone throughout the course of the day, it’s only logical to make sure they have the same user-experience from one screen to the other. Having a separate mobile site – that usually has less content and different navigation – doesn’t make sense. Our responsive design performs the same across all devices and delivers a…

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Misconception No. 1: Your interest rate reflects the true cost of your mortgage.

Your annual percentage rate (APR) is actually the figure that represents the true cost of your mortgage. It is inclusive of your interest rate, points, mortgage insurance (when applicable) and other fees, including origination and underwriting fees. It does not include the cost of your homeowners insurance policy. The APR is typically higher than your interest rate because it incorporates the rate and the fees. In fact, when shopping for a mortgage, it is best to compare loans based on APR instead of the interest rate because it gives a better sense of the total cost over the life of the loan.

Misconception No. 2: Mortgage rates are only…

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We are happy to announce the launch of the newly updated www.TheCascadeTeam.com website. Our new site is the first “Responsive” real estate website in the market! The Responsive web design from www.TheCascadeTeam.com will resize and reformat page content in response to screen size and resolution. In short, our responsive website is one that looks good and performs well on traditional computers, tablets and smartphone. Its one size fits all – no separate mobile version required!

If you consider that many potential buyers may start their home search on their laptop and then switch to their smartphone throughout the course of the day, it’s only logical to make sure they have the same user-experience from one screen to the other. Having a separate…

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  • Sold Homes up 27.5% compaired to last year.
  • Pending Sales up 13.6%
  • Prices are up 10.8% Compaired to last year
  • Multiple offers being reported in ALL price range!

Home sales, prices still rising in Western Washington despite lean inventory and increasing mortgage rates:

KIRKLAND, Wash. (Aug. 6, 2013) – Rising interest rates, rising prices and rising consumer confidence are creating a "positive cyclone of home sales activity," according to members of the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. A robust job market around the Greater Seattle area is also spurring sales.

Member-brokers reported 9,565 pending sales during July for an increase of more than 13.6 percent from a year ago – the highest year-over-year gain…

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By Gerri Detweiler | Credit.com

Tips to Buy a Home Fast

  • Check your credit reports and your credit score before you start shopping for a home to give yourself time to fix any mistakes you find. You can check your credit reports for free once a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies from AnnualCreditReport.com.  You can also check your credit score using Credit.com's free Credit Report Card.
  • Get preapproved — not just prequalified — for a mortgage. Doing so may even put you at an advantage over a cash buyer who may be offering less money.
  • Work with real estateand mortgage professionals who have a track record of meeting deadlines. Don't be afraid to ask for references. 
  • Protect yourself. No…

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By Karen Blumenthal | The Wall Street Journal.com

The housing market is getting hot—and that is changing the game for both home buyers and sellers. 

In many cities, including those hard hit by the downturn, bidding wars are breaking out and winning offers often exceed the asking the price. A relatively low inventory of homes for sale is feeding the scramble.

Existing-home sales were up 13% in May compared with the previous year, reports the National Association of Realtors, and the median home price was up 15%, to $208,000, the biggest jump since October 2005. Average home prices for the most recent S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index were up 12% in April over a year ago.

For first-time buyers and those eager to move…

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Author:ProfessorBaron.com

When you purchase a property in a common interest development, often referred to as a homeowners association (HOA), the documents that go along with that purchase can cost $400-$1,000. Many buyers are not excited about paying for these documents or only pay for some of them to save money.

While these documents do contain vital information that you absolutely need to review to protect yourself when buying property, about 95 percent of buyers won’t bother reading them before signing on the dotted line.

Big mistake!

HOAs are complicated business entities, and all types of issues come along with owning property in one — from legal and management issues, to owner occupancy percentages,…

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Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, July 18, 2013  

Though the housing recovery is trucking along, that doesn't mean real estate scams have gone away. Home owners have been duped out of an average of $4,000 to $5,000 from scams, but even five-figure losses aren’t uncommon for those who have fallen prey to fake loan modifications and other housing fraud. Forbes recently highlighted three of the most common real estate scams today:

1. Rental scams: Scammers illegally pull online listing information from a home for sale and re-post it as a rental on another site, such as Craigslist. They’ll often ask for money upfront, in the form of a security deposit or broker fee, from prospective tenants.…

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1.  Irregular Inclusions. During the course of their transactions, most buyers and sellers become familiar with the distinction between fixtures and personal property. Fixtures, items which are attached permanently to the property, are included in the sale - personal property items are neither attached nor included in the transaction. They are not included unless the buyer and seller expressly agree to include them, that is.  Here’s a tip: if you’re not sure that something will stay after closing, write it into the contract.  And sellers, if there’s something you want to make sure you can take with you, pull it out of the property before showing it or at the very least, expressly exclude it from your contract.  Your agent…

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