Found 255 blog entries tagged as The Cascade Team.

Market Recap

  •         Active Inventory up 39.4%
  •         Pending Sales Dropped -1.4%
  •         Sold Homes only increased 1.9% despite the increase in available inventory
  •         Median Sales price increased a modest 3.6%

Traditionally a quiet month, February’s market activity reflected consumer sentiment in two important areas: affordability and available inventory.

30-year mortgage rates dropped slightly from 6.95% to 6.76%, but that may not be enough to encourage buyers when faced with continuing rising prices. The median price for residential homes and condominiums rose 2.4% from $615,000 in January 2025 to $630,000 in February 2025.

Although the number of active listings is significantly higher than a year ago (39.4%…

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  •         New Inventory Increased by 35.1% compared to 2024
  •         The number of homes for sale increased 44.6% year-over-year
  •         Mortgage Rates are currently at 6.95%
  •         Inventory expected to hit near a decade high by May-June

Traditionally a quieter month in the winter season, January’s activity continued the year-over-year growth trends observed in market activity over the last twelve months. NWMLS brokers added 6,693 new listings to the database in January 2025, an increase of 35.1% compared to January 2024 (4,954). The number of closed sales increased by 10.8% year-over-year (3,727 in January 2025 compared to 3,364 in January 2024),

“For-sale inventories are continuing to rise from historical lows, and that’s…

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The Trossachs market increased 9.1% in 2024, and while that’s great news, it isn’t the full story. That’s the overall increase from January 1st, 2024, to December 31st, 2024.

However, for homes that closed in April (with a typical 30—to 45-day closing), they were on the market from late February to early March. Home sale prices in Trossachs increased by 21% to an average of $2,370,000.

If you tried timing your home’s listing for the end of June to coincide with the end of the typical school year, you only increased 1% from January and saw a decrease of 20% from April, with average closings at $1,975,000. (In fact, 3 of the 4 Trossachs homes closed in June went for UNDER asking price.)

Homes in Trossachs finished the year up 9.1%, closing at…

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Timing the Market can put Money in your Pocket

We often see and hear news reports about the housing market and its continuing price increases. However, there is much more to the story. While prices generally increase throughout the year, those increases fluctuate throughout the year and can be very nuanced from neighborhood to neighborhood, even within the same city.

In some cases, just one month can mean a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, if you plan on selling, it may not necessarily be worth trying to “Time” the market for the end of school, especially if closing in April instead of June means an extra $200,000 or more!

Take, for example, the neighborhood of Trossachs located in Sammamish. Trossachs has just under 1,700…

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Find Your Home's True Equity

A Professional Equity Assessment Report (PEAR) is a custom evaluation of your home’s cash value. We can determine your home’s approximate equity by assessing your current mortgage and estimated selling price and deducting fees such as commissions, excise tax, and other closing costs. This report is a powerful tool for helping you make confident decisions about selling your home.

The truth is that the final numbers are more than just the sales price and remaining mortgage balance. Other factors such as capital gains tax, broker commissions, HELOC loans, prepayment penalties, special assessments, and escrow and lender fees play a part in this final number.

We’ll help you clearly understand your bottom line. All you…

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Buckle up for a bumpy ride as 2025 looks to have multiple twists and turns ahead.

  •         The housing market will keep shifting in 2025.
  •         The average home value rose by 9% annually.
  •         Expectations are for approximately a 5% increase in prices for 2025.
  •         Homebuying activity should pick up after a long slump, despite choppiness in mortgage rates.
  •         Housing inventory to start the year is the highest since 2020.
  •         Fewer bidding wars with normalizing housing supply.
  •         Interest rates to bounce around the mid 6% range.

Believe it or not, the housing market is still normalizing after the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past few years, the housing market has been — to put it in as simple of terms…

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When you think of the Zestimate, for many, it gives a false anchor for what the value actually is.

The Zestimate is just one of a slew of automated valuation models that are increasingly used by banks, investors, and laypeople to estimate the value of homes. No other model, however, has wormed its way into our culture like the Zestimate. The model, like other consumer-facing AVMs, is prone to errors that render it more of an amusement than a serious pricing tool. But while the algo's price-guessing skills may be suspect, it's undeniably elite at one thing: luring people to Zillow-dot-com.

The Zestimate is both everywhere and an enigma. About 104 million homes, or 71% of the US housing stock, have a little dollar figure hovering above them on…

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As the holiday season comes to a close and the decorations are carefully packed away, many homeowners find themselves contemplating new beginnings. The start of a new year is a time for fresh starts and resolutions, making it an ideal moment to consider selling your home. Here’s why preparing your home for sale right after the holidays can be a strategic move.

1. A Fresh Start for Buyers and Sellers

The new year often brings a renewed sense of motivation and determination. Many potential buyers are eager to start fresh, and the idea of moving into a new home aligns perfectly with their resolutions. As a seller, this is an opportunity to tap into that mindset by presenting your home as a fresh, inviting option for those looking to make a change.

…

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At The Cascade Team, we're only scary to those "Over-Priced" brokerages. The only thing scarier than paying too high of a commission to sell your home… Is realizing that you don’t have too while getting even MORE service and support than most brokerages offer at a higher fee!

Cary Porter is the Founder and Owner of The Cascade Team Real Estate. With over 20 years' experience in the market Cary has a true passion for the Real Estate Industry, bringing the latest technology to the forefront, and is a big believer in and supporter of community service. Cary works alongside his son, Keenan Porter, and together truly go the "extra" mile their clients!

At The Cascade Team we understand first and foremost that it isn't about "Us". It's all about "You"!…

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Horror stories are unfortunately all too common in some HOA communities. In most neighborhoods, homeowners' associations are pretty chill and get things done for the residents. But unfortunately, other HOAs sometimes spiral out of control, with members flexing their power to fine, harass, and even sue homeowners over tiny infractions.

Read on for the worst HOA tales they've come across while working in the field

The “Slip”

"I slipped in my driveway and fell and broke my femur near my hip and couldn't get up. I was laying in my driveway calling for help for about 30 minutes and I could hear people walking past but nobody stopped for quite a while. I eventually asked someone to call an ambulance and got taken care of. Spent a few days in the…

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