Learn about local real estate and housing market trends from The Cascade Team Real Estate.

We are very happy to welcome Misti Barrientos to The Cascade Team. Many of us have done business with Misti as she sat site for Murray Franklin at Snoqualmie Ridge. Misti has always been a top notch and very trustworthy person to do business with and we are very excited to bring someone of her caliber to The Cascade Team!

Misti's contact information is:

misti@thecascadeteam.com

206-954-1388

My goal is to provide my clients with the expertise they expect, the guidance they trust, and the uncompromised service they deserve while establishing a long term business relationship.

Over 15 years of experience in customer service, property management and sales, my career includes leasing and selling multi-family and single family homes.  While leasing…

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Property Website

Priced at $2,795

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3.5
Home Size: 3,190 sq.ft. Garage: 3
Lot Size: 6,462 sq.ft. Community: Snoqualmie Ridge
County: King Property Type: Rental
Year Built: 2006

Better than new Conner home located on the 10th green w/ golf course and stunning mountain views. Extensive upgrades including cherry wood floors, crown moulding, and main floor den w/custom cabinets. Gourmet kitchen features dacor/bosch appliances, slab granite countertops and custom tile backsplash. Darling Jack and Jill bath separate extra bedrooms. Spacious master suite w/expansive closet and materbath w/granite counters and tile floors. Come relax in your own backyard oasis.

Leanna Young

Real Estate Broker

Office:425.313.4752…

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By Marcelle Sussman Fischler | Forbes.com – Mon, Sep 17, 2012

The Meera Sky Garden House in Singapore (Photo: Guz Architects) Carpets of green have topped dwellings since ancient times. If you believe the legend, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon blanketed an entire palace in exotic greenery. And during the Viking days, sod roofs made of earth were all the rage.
Once a relic of earlier civilizations, living rooftops are blooming once more, albeit with modern technologies like irrigation and drainage systems — eco-friendly alternatives to materials like asphalt or tile.


“You have to have a bit of a green thumb,” said Katy Brahler, who along with husband, Gary, “wanted to go as green as we could,” when they hired Cleveland architect Robert Maschke to…

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September 19, 2012

Last week in review (September 10 - 14, 2012)

Last week, the Fed announced another round of Quantitative Easing (QE3). Read on to learn what QE is, why the Fed announced QE3,and what this means for home loan rates.


Table source: Mortgage Success Source

What is Quantitative Easing? Quantitative Easing is the concept of the Fed becoming a buyer of treasuries and bonds to try to stimulate the economy. Oftentimes, the Fed does Quantitative Easing when they are hoping to (1) create inflation and avoid a deflationary economy, (2) lower the unemployment rate, and (3) boost stock prices.

Why did the Fed announce QE3? With our economy still struggling (especially our housing and labor markets) and inflation appearing tame, QE3 was…

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Daily Real Estate News | Monday, September 17, 2012  

The Office of the Inspector General at the Federal Housing Finance Agency is trying to find strategic defaulters and collect on what they still owe. Strategic defaulters are often underwater home owners who walk away from their mortgages even though they still have the means to pay.

Experian has estimated that 20 percent of all foreclosures are from startegic defaulters. The OIG estimates that strategic defaulters owe more than $1 billion to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and they’re ready to start collecting. 

The OIG is reportedly working with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop a mechanism for identifying strategic defaulters. 

"Debts that haven't been repaid don't just go away,"…

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Daily Real Estate News | Thursday, September 13, 2012  

More home buyers are finding they’re losing their power position in the real estate market and that when they submit an offer for a home, they may not be alone in the bidding. In fact, buyers who submit low offers may not even get a courtesy of a callback nowadays. 

I have personally had clients make full price offers on Mercer Island with an escalation clause up to $50,000 over asking price and be beaten out by multiple offers higher than that!

A drop in the inventory of for-sale homes around the country is prompting more competition among home buyers. Inventory in June is 24 percent below year-ago levels. 

"We are seeing more and more…

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September 12, 2012

Last week in review (September 3 - 7, 2012)

The Labor Department released its Jobs Report for August. Read on for the details, and what they mean for home loan rates.


Table source: Mortgage Success Source

On Friday, the Labor Department revealed that 96,000 jobs were created in August. This was below the elevated expectations after the surprisingly good ADP report for August. Only 103,000 private sector jobs were created, well below expectations, while government job losses were in line with expectations. Downward revisions to June’s and July’s job numbers, which erased an additional 41,000 jobs from what was previously reported, added to the negative tone of the report.

The unemployment rate, also a major headline,…

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Daily Real Estate News | Friday, September 07, 2012  

With short sales, home owners work with a bank on a solution to get out of a house they may no longer be able to afford or have to sell urgently for some reason. That’s why some argue short sales shouldn’t damage a person’s credit score in the same way as foreclosures, which can be much more costly for banks.

So should the penalty for a foreclosure more severely damage a borrower’s credit score than a short sale? No, maintains a new FICO study. 

FICO conducted a study to determine the credit risk associated with “mortgage stress events,” such as foreclosures and short sales, by analyzing data from October 2009 to October 2011.  

“While it is true that short…

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September housing statistics around Washington indicate

recovery is continuing, strengthening sellers’ positions

KIRKLAND, Wash. (Sept. 5, 2012) – Pending sales, closed sales and prices all increased in August compared to a year ago, according to the latest figures from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Those key indicators, coupled with the persistent shortage of inventory, prompted one industry leader to declare the market has flipped.

Brokers reported 8,338 pending sales of single family homes and condominiums last month for a year-over-year increase of 9.3 percent. Fourteen of the 21 counties in the Northwest MLS service area reported double-digit gains in the number of mutually accepted offers.

Last month’s pending transactions…

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Sept 5th, 2012

Labor Day Holiday Weekend Issue

Due to the holiday weekend, the next full issue of the Weekly Economic Summary will arrive on Wednesday, September 12. In the meantime, check out the special article below on how to help your clients avoid hidden cell phone fees.

5 Hidden Cell Phone Fees

Thinking of switching to a new wireless provider? If it’s one of the major national carriers, expect to pay an activation fee, typically about $35, for each new line you open. For a family plan with four lines, that would add up to $140. The salesperson may be willing to waive the fee if you communicate your unwillingness to  pay. Watch for promotions that allow you to sign up without activation fees. Recently, customers who bought Verizon…

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