The Cascade Team Blog - Agent Tips

Broker/Agent Training Class: Getting to Closing!

Thank you to Susan Edwards of First American Title for providing this great class for the Brokers of www.TheCascadeTeam.com today, and thank you to all the Agent/Brokers who attended.

• New Forms – New HUD Settlement forms – The proposed rules and their issues for escrow
• Short Sales – Indemnities, conflicting instructions to escrow, rejected wires, etc;
• Fraud – Short Sale Fraud, fraudulent funds
• Earnest Money Disputes – What happens when there is no “meeting of the minds”?
• Who are the parties to the transaction?
• Other common issues:
• - Lack of Information
• - Lack of Legal Description
• - Utilities
• - Buyer closing costs paid by seller
• - Wire Cutoff times
• - Bankruptcy

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Property Management & Leasing Services From The Cascade Team

The Cascade Team Property Management is a team dedicated to providing you with professional service and first class management of your property. Our home leasing service commitment is not only to our property owners, but also to the tenants who occupy those properties. Navigating the real estate rental market can be overwhelming. When you enlist our team of Property Management professionals, we can manage every aspect of the process, no matter your situation. We handling everything from listing your house 4 rent and finding tenants, screening and all the other aspects of the landlord tenant relationship. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of what our team does to ensure you have a worry free experience.

CLICK HERE to search for rental homes in…

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6 Things You Think Add Value To Your Home - But Really Don't

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By Jean Folger | Investopedia

Every homeowner must pay for routine home maintenance, such as replacing worn-out plumbing components or staining the deck, but some choose to make improvements with the intention of increasing the home's value. Certain projects, such as adding a well thought-out family room - or other functional space - can be a wise investment, as they do add to the value of the home. Other projects, however, allow little opportunity to recover the costs when it's time to sell.

Even though the current homeowner may greatly appreciate the improvement, a buyer could be unimpressed and unwilling to factor the upgrade into the purchase price. Homeowners, therefore, need to be careful with how they choose to spend…

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Understanding The HUD 1 Settlement Statement

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Looking at the HUD-1 can sometimes be overwhelming.  We have broken it down to make it easier for you and your clients to understand how all the debits, credits, fees and charges in connection with your transaction come in to play.  The Cascade Team Real Estate is here to answer your questions and keep you informed!

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Understanding the Numbers When Buying in a Low Inventory Real Estate Market

As a homebuyer in today’s market, you’re no doubt at your wit’s end trying to find your dream home.

And when you find a home you love, you’re competing with all cash offers and bidding wars driving the sales price above what it’s listed for, and many times, even above what the home is actually worth!

While there is nothing you can do to create more homes for sale, you can certainly arm yourself by understanding the trends and patterns in the areas you’re trying to buy in.

While it’s not quite rocket science, there is definitely a significant competitive advantage to those that understand the trends of a real estate market.

Sometimes, being competitive means not looking in the most competitive price ranges in the most competitive markets.

…

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Puget Sound Real Estate Market Officially Catches Fire!

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Multiple offers are "the new normal" for housing market around Puget Sound

• April 2013 Sees the Highest Volume of Pending Sales Since May 2007
• 10,351 New Listings Added Consumed by even Greater Number of Closed Sales and Pending Sales
• Prices up Area Wide 12.5%
• Sales up 20% Year over Year
• Multiple Offers Become the “New Norm”

KIRKLAND, Wash. (May 6, 2013) – Northwest Multiple Listing Service members notched their highest volume of new listings since June 2011, but the additions did little to ease inventory shortages. Brokers also reported the highest volume of pending sales since May 2007, along with anecdotes of bidding wars.

"Multiple offers have become the new normal," remarked MLS director Diedre…

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New Stager For The Cascade Team in Washington - Tricia Ritter

For years, I’ve staged homes and designed rooms for friends and family. People tell me I have an "eye" for design

and a talent for making spaces beautiful. I consider it a privilege to earn a living doing what I enjoy. I work alongside homeowners to create

customized plans that show their homes in the best possible light, which helps facilitate

a quick sale. Contact Me at Tricia@TheCascadeTeam.com or 425-765-7779



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Buyers Will Pay Extra for These Features

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Some home shoppers say they are willing to spend thousands of dollars above the price of the home in order to have certain interior features. 

The most coveted home features tend to center around the kitchen, such as stainless steel appliances and a kitchen island, says Errol Samuelson, president of realtor.com.

24/7 Wall St. used data from the National Association of REALTORS® to determine some of the most desired home features. Here are eight features that made the list and how much extra, on average, buyers say they’re willing to pay for having that feature in a home: 

• Central air conditioning: $2,520
• New kitchen appliances: $1,840
• …

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A Better Mouse Trap to Sell Your Home!

Prices are on the way up and homes are selling quickly, and inventory down over 60% in many areas from Seattle to San Diego and Arizona. Sammamish, WA for example; has a 61% drop in inventory over the past year. In March of this year western Washington saw nearly 10,000 new listings added, yet even more than 10,000 homes were sold or went Pending meaning inventory of availiable homes still continued to shrink.

At The Cascade Team Real Estate our listings are on the market for an average of only 10 days, and over 50% are selling in 3 days or less with 42% of our listings receiving multiple offers and going ABOVE asking price!

How are we doing this?...... We built A Better Mouse Trap to Sell Your Home!

Why pay 2% more for one of "Those Over-Priced…

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Ways Sellers Can Prepare for a Home Inspection

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Home sellers and their real estate professionals have an important role in preparing for a home inspection to help ensure it goes smoothly. Here are some tips on several easy steps you can take to make sure the inspection process of your home goes off with as little hassle as possible.

1. Don’t hide what isn’t working: If an appliance isn’t working, leave a note that indicates what isn’t working and how you’re getting it fixed. Don’t try to conceal defects because it can make the inspector start to view you as dishonest and wonder what else you’re hiding. 

2. Make things accessible: Ensure the location of the attic and crawlspace are identified and easy…

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