What a Fed rate Hike Means For You and Home Prices

The Fed hiked its key rate by 25 basis points to a range between 0.50% and 0.75% at Wednesday's meeting. That increase is likely to have an effect on mortgage rates going forward. To that end, The Cascade Team has calculated how the rate hike this week would affect mortgage payments with rates moving up from a 4.0% rate to one with a 4.25% rate. (Please note that the payments are based on borrowers with a minimum 720 credit score and 20% down. Payments also do not include property taxes or any HOA fees or assessments).   One rate hike won't change the world but the process of rising rates affects millions of Americans. If you have a credit card or savings account, invest in stocks or bonds, want to buy a home or a car, pay attention.  

The…

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The 2016 Holiday Party Recap and Photos

It was a wonderful time for all at The Cascade Team 2016 Holiday Party. The evening was filled with good friends, great food, drinks and prizes! We even had the surprise reveal of our new logo.

Thanks to our friends at The Plateau Club in Sammamish for providing a fantastic venue for the party. And we can’t forget our event planners Allison Conner, Janet Jolly-Porter and Summer Porter who worked hard to ensure we all had a great time.

We also took time out to recognize the 28 recipients of the Simply Outrageous Service Award for 2016. The winners are listed below the photos.

Happy Holidays!

Photos by Carolyn Coffee Photography

The 2016 SOS - Simply Outrageous Service Award Winners

Aimee Malmberg

Allison Conner

Ben & Julie…

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Here We Grow Again! Two New Offices Located in Vancouver, WA and Avondale, AZ

The Cascade Team is very happy to announce the addition of two new offices.

The first is located in Avondale, AZ and will be managed by Michael Gabriel 

Located in Avondale just off the I-10, our Avondale office team is committed to delivering Simply Outrageous Service to our clients by providing more technology and service than any other local Avondale Realtors, all the while provide unparalleled value. If you have a West Valley home to sell, or are looking to purchase, contact one of our local area real estate agents below.

The Second office is located in Vancouver, WA and will be managed by Gary Firth.

The Cascade Team Real Estate is ready to serve our clients with Simply Outrageous Service. Our Vancouver, WA office is centrally…

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2017 is Almost Here: Elevate your Real Estate Career… More Money, Listings & Sales!

Here is your chance to be part of an innovative Real Estate Brokerage that's changing how things are done. 

We are a FULL Service company with a comprehensive marketing plan, great training and support, and great agents! We save our clients thousands on the sale of their home, give them the support and service level they want, and in the process are building a name for ourselves that is second to none!

Contact Janet Jolly-Porter: janet@TheCascadeTeam.com or 425-830-6743 to set up your appointment to learn more.

It’s time to do the math and elevate your business!

8 (x) the Business (And future referrals) and 7 (X) the Money with INCREASING Inventory up 21%!

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Here We Grow Again - Vancouver, WA Office - Gary Firth, Managing Broker

WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF OUR NEW OFFICE IN VANCOUVER, WA - WELCOME GARY FIRTH, MANAGING BROKER!!!

Gary Firth

• Office:  1-800-509-6905 ext. 1147
• Cell: 360-921-4075
• Fax: 425-996-9520
• gary@thecascadeteam.com

We are very happy to officially welcome Gary Firth to The Cascade Team. Gary has over 25 years’ experience in Real Estate with 18 years as a Managing Broker. Gary will be running our new Vancouver Washington office, and helping to serve Southwestern Washington as well as the Portland Metro area. Gary is going to be a wonderful asset to The Cascade Team and his new office is sure to grow quickly!

OUR LOCAL REAL ESTATE TEAM

Cascade Team Real Estate agents are proactive in serving their customers, studying the…

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What are your thoughts on ‘Transparent Bidding’ in real estate?

 By Teke Wiggin

I would be very interested in hearing comments of this topic. At The Cascade Team we already have a "Make An Offer" button on all of our in-house listings, so this is something we could fairly easily modify and do.... But there are definitely some negatives to go along with possible advantages. As an Agent/Broker I would love to hear from you, and also as a home Seller/Buyer I would love to get your thoughts!

How the process works and the arguments for and against its use

• Brokerages and tech firms are experimenting with "transparent bidding," which shows buyers all the offers made on a listing.
• Supporters say this fetches top dollar for sellers, but skeptics say that's often not true because it takes away one of their…

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7 Holiday Décor Tips and Tricks for Sellers

You can still be festive. These tips will help you celebrate — without alienating would-be buyers - BY: Neila Deen   

Selling your home through the holiday season can certainly come with a few challenges. Chilly, wet weather and falling leaves in November and December might mean more raking and shoveling to keep your home pristine. However, the damp weather and dark skies don’t have to squelch your holiday spirit. In fact, the holidays are a perfect time to showcase the warmth and character of your home to prospective buyers.

If you’ve already got the basics of staging under control — meaning you’ve pared down, freshened up and added a splash of color — you’re ready to follow these seven do’s to create an appropriately festive home for sale.

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Housing Inventory Plunges To Lowest Level Of Year, As Housing Sales Hit Busiest November Period Of All Time!

The Seattle residential real estate market is not taking time off for an end-of-year breather!

• “Last year’s holiday season ended up being the best time to sell a home around King County”
• November showed a 13.2 percent drop in inventory of single family homes.
• November also showed a 31.3 percent spike in closed home sales.
• And an 11 percent increase in prices compared to the same month a year ago.

KIRKLAND, Washington (Dec. 5, 2016) – Pending sales of homes hit an all-time high for the month of November according to the latest statistics from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The report covering 23 counties around Washington state also shows the number of new listings added during the month plunged to the lowest level in 11…

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Our Clients Have More Money for The Holidays: RESULTS: How About $6,879, 013 in Total Value!!!!

RESULTS: Our clients' TOTAL combination of 
savings and value for the last 18 months!

And this AMAZING total is just for our results page…. Meaning only for homes we sold in under 7 Days going for OVER asking price… If you add in all of the homes we sold that took slightly longer than 7 days or were at full price or close to it that number reaches an astonishing $15 Million+!

A FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE FOR HOME SELLERS

The Cascade Team provides a full service experience that is a step above; by executing a marketing plan that is unique to your home, rich in technology and high in service.  We leverage the most innovative technological tools to provide the most exposure possible for your home to increase the communication and…

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Beware Porch Pirates And Other Holiday Season Safety Tips

  The holiday season is a time to reflect on family, good fortune and unity. But a recent study serves to remind us that holiday revelry and merriment can blind us to some of the season’s most dangerous and ubiquitous hazards.  

As online shopping grows in popularity, the number of porch pirates is growing. Packages left near doorsteps can be motivation for thieves to swipe unopened boxes from porches or even mailboxes.

Twenty-three million Americans have had packages stolen from their home before they could open them, according to a recent study by InsuranceQuotes.

The online shopping trend is increasing opportunities for thieves to swipe from doorsteps. Shoppers now make 51 percent of their purchases online, up from 47 percent in…

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