As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are able to work remotely, and for many this begs a whole new question: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?  Recently, our Happy Home Buyers Gabi and Eric (names changed for privacy!) reached out to our team because they were interested in moving…

If you already own a home and are ready to “move up,” figuring out the logistics of everything can be a challenge.  Luckily for you, we help our clients do this all the time!  In this post, we are sharing how to buy and sell a home at the same time, specifically for those who…

When Seattleites are ready to leave city life, Shoreline is one of the most popular nearby cities that people move to. One big reason is the fantastic commute—located just north of Seattle, you can live in Shoreline and still have a very reasonable commute into Seattle. But another BIG reason is for Shoreline’s fantastic school…

Why Mortgage Rates Can Go Up Even After the Fed Cuts Rates If you’ve been waiting to buy or sell in Seattle “when rates come down,” here’s something you should know: Mortgage rates can actually go up after the Federal Reserve lowers its rate. That feels backward, but it happens. Here’s why, and what it…

Seattle Building Code Explained: What Homebuyers Should Know About Safety, Remodels & Resale How Seattle’s Building Code Rules Shape the Homes We Live In Seattle’s homes reflect the building code in place when they were built. That history shows up in day-to-day living: how solid the home feels in a storm, whether a basement room…

How to Remove Your Home’s Photos from the MLS (Seattle & Bellevue) Last verified: October 14, 2025 Worried about privacy after you buy a home? In the Seattle–Bellevue area, listing photos live inside the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) and are widely syndicated. Good news: you can usually have the interior and “additional” photos taken…

Want to talk strategy for your own buying or selling plans in light of these changes? Let’s chat — our team keeps a close pulse on how policies, jobs, and housing data intersect so you can make confident moves.

Seattle Mortgage Rates Are Dropping Fast — Here’s Why and What It Means for Buyers (Updated August 4, 2025) TL;DR 30-year fixed mortgage rates average 6.57% today, their lowest in four months and down 0.24 percentage points week-over-week. A weak July jobs report sent Treasury yields tumbling, and markets now price a 95% chance of…

Best Neighborhoods in Seattle for Families (and Why They Work) Seattle offers a diverse array of neighborhoods, each with its unique charm and amenities. For families seeking the perfect place to call home, factors like school quality (Seattle Schools are great, if you know where to look), safety (not every Seattle neighborhood is created equal),…

Decades of Seattle & King County Home Construction: A Journey Through Time Each decade of home construction in Seattle and surrounding King County has left its mark on our neighborhoods. Below, we break down the key eras of residential construction, highlight their architectural styles, note where you’ll commonly find these homes, and offer tips for…

Seattle’s housing market in early 2025 is off to a dynamic start. Home prices citywide are ticking upward, and certain neighborhoods are leading the charge. Overall, Seattle’s median home price sits around $849,000, up roughly 5% from a year ago​rocket.com. Inventory remains a challenge – the number of homes for sale is still very low,…

🐢 Seattle Real Estate 2025: The Neighborhoods Lagging in Home Price Growth Not every Seattle neighborhood can be the belle of the real estate ball—some are still getting dressed. While spots like Wallingford and Queen Anne are sprinting ahead with double-digit price gains, other areas are moving more… leisurely. If you’re watching market trends or…

In a Tumbling Market, Seattle Real Estate Stands Tall — Especially Single-Family Homes With the stock market on a rollercoaster following President Trump’s sweeping new tariff regime, many investors are watching their portfolios dip and asking: Where is my money actually safe right now? For Seattle-area homeowners and would-be buyers, the answer might be right…

Home price growth in Bellevue and the greater Eastside has dominated Seattle for the last four years after nearly a decade of lockstep appreciation. What changed and what can we expect for 2026? A Tale of Two Cities: Bellevue vs. Seattle Real Estate The housing markets of Bellevue and Seattle have diverged dramatically in the…

Amid Seattle’s housing crisis, where skyrocketing prices and limited availability have become everyday challenges, the city is charting a new course toward a more equitable and sustainable future. At the heart of this initiative is the One Seattle Plan, a comprehensive roadmap designed to address today’s pressing housing needs while laying the foundation for a…

I love a good deal. Who doesn’t? Two-for-one pizza’s from Pagliacci? Sign me up. Fifty percent off everything in Nordstrom? There in a heartbeat. Paying less than list price for a 3-bedroom, 2-bath single-family home in Fremont? I would LITERALLY KILL to make this my reality. But let’s pump the brakes a little. Pizza and…

If you want to buy a $1 million house in Seattle, how much cash do you need on hand?  Now, you might be thinking that $1 million is a ton of money. And it is! But in Seattle at the moment, our median home price is right around $768,000 (as of writing this in April…

My team and I are always keeping a close eye on the market, but even more so this winter as Seattle’s market shifts. What will happen this spring and in the rest of 2023? How can savvy buyers and sellers time the market this year?  Using the latest data, our work with buyers and seller…

How does Seattle’s market compare to other markets in the country? Is our housing market going to crash? We believe that Seattle is primed to be a long-term hold while other markets have significant headwinds that will drag on their real estate market in the medium to long term. For example, Miami appears to be…

When many people think of living in Seattle, they immediately start dreaming about our stunning water views, the majestic mountains that line our horizon, and all of our lush, iconic greenery! So of course, many people who are moving here want to buy a home that has a spectacular water view. These are the best…

We have had a lot of clients from California moving to the Seattle and Bellevue area due to their ability to work remotely. Almost 100% of the time, our California clients start their home search only wanting new construction.  We totally get this (and we love new construction!), but new construction in the Seattle area…

Like we referenced in this post about new construction, many people moving to the Seattle/Bellevue area are hoping to find a new construction home.  As it turns out, what they’re searching for might not actually exist in Seattle or Bellevue proper. Many of our Happy Home Buyers are dreaming about a new construction home that…

In 2020, we saw homebuyer patterns shift dramatically, and these trends are continuing into 2021. If we had to sum up current King County real estate trends in just 2 quick takeaways, here they are:  Single-family homes are like GOLD.  Condo sales are down nearly in every area in King County. Now I’m going to…

People have always found a way to make efficient use of their space, but we’ve seen a micro-living revival happening in Seattle in the last few years. As rent keeps going up, people are having to really identity their priorities… and a lot of time that can end up meaning less “house”! “Micro apartments” and…

When flipping a house, your goal is to make the home as appealing to the masses as possible. To this end, much of our advice in this post will address the most common mistakes we see house flippers make!  Throughout this post, we’re going to use a home in Bellevue that we flipped as an…

For many people with kids attending college in Seattle, buying an investment property can make a lot of sense for a few big reasons: It gives their kid a place to live while they attend school (don’t have to worry about renting and moving in and out every year) Kids can live somewhere rent-free while…

Before we share our four big tips, it might be helpful to keep in mind that our typical first-time home buyer often fits the following criteria: About 27 years old Moved to Seattle from anywhere and everywhere Often work for a tech company, a medical company, or they’re an engineer somewhere They’ve been renting (often…

On November 27, 2018, The Seattle Times published an article titled “Metro Seattle home prices falling at fastest rate in U.S.” Many homeowners and hopeful sellers started to panic after reading the alarming headline, and understandably so. But as usual, we have another perspective to throw into the mix. This article brings up several concerns…

Back in September 2017, Amazon announced they would be selecting a new city for their HQ2. Since then, cities have submitted their proposals to Amazon, and in January 2018, Amazon narrowed it down to 20 cities. Now they’ve made their decision and the result is that the world as we know it is not going to…

The University of Washington has become a world class college for a world class city. I’ve been in Seattle long enough to remember UW as (almost) a party school. A good school with about a million bars lining the college urban villages main drag. Today that is not true. UW has taken a much more…

In reality, it seems to be happening a year earlier than we thought (Matt predicted it would happen in 2019). While things are still early and we’re still closely watching the market, the leveling out appears to be happening now. We’re convinced that a lot of this is being driven by geopolitical issues. Property taxes…

Early in September, Amazon announced that it’s searching for a city to build its second headquarters in. They’re looking at building a new HQ where they’ll be able to employ up to 50,000 people with high-paying jobs. Currently, Amazon has over 40,000 employees in Seattle. If you live in Seattle, then you probably know that…

Built in 1949, this particular Cape Cod home had never been remodeled. The kitchen was original, and the house just looked old, closed off, and dark. The home had only ever had 2 owners, and it hadn’t really been changed at all! I started off by taking a walk around the house. I asked myself,…

I’m asked all the time if I think home prices are going to continue this astonishing rise. Some would-be homebuyers are beginning to think that this is a bubble, and that waiting might to buy might be a good idea. Over the last 5 years, I’ve had many clients act on that impulse to devastating…

Many buyers find themselves in the trap of searching for this elusive creature… you know, that $500k home with a yard and a 98 walk score. In case you are new to the Seattle housing market, that is a very hard home to find. Does this house exist? Does YOUR dream home exist? Before getting…

In the Seattle area, Amazon HQ2 has been on everyone’s minds for quite some time now. They finally made their big announcement of bringing 25,000 jobs to a new location in Northern Virginia, but this past spring, Amazon also recently announced that they’ll be making another big move to Bellevue. According to the Bellevue Reporter, Amazon…

If you’re keeping an eye on the Seattle housing market, you’ve probably noticed that Ballard townhomes remain one of the hottest property types for buyers looking for modern living with walkable amenities. But how long does it take for these homes to sell, and what are buyers actually paying in 2025? Let’s dive into the…

Veer Lofts: The Heart of South Lake Union’s Only Condominium—and a Market Standout In a neighborhood dominated by rentals and sleek new apartments, Veer Lofts holds a rare distinction: it’s the only condominium community in the heart of South Lake Union. That alone makes it unique—but the market performance here is what really turns heads….

Seattle’s housing market is splitting into distinct tiers. In one tier, single-family homes are flying off the market with skyrocketing prices. In the other, condos are barely budging (and in some cases losing value), while townhouses see only modest gains and still lag far behind their single-family counterparts. Recent data from 2024–2025 reveals a growing gulf in pricing, inventory, and demand between these property types….

The last few years, the real estate market has undergone a dramatic shift, resulting in a consistent lack of housing inventory. Mortgage rates, which have historically been a key factor in the decision-making process for both buyers and sellers, have risen sharply. In particular, interest rates on home loans have doubled from the ultra-low levels…

What If Interest Rates Don’t Go Down? With mortgage rates hovering at high levels, many Seattle homebuyers are eagerly waiting for relief. Recent news that the Federal Reserve has dropped interest rates by 0.50% and plans to continue cutting incrementally might seem like good news, but it’s important to understand that this doesn’t necessarily mean…

“When’s the right time to buy a house?” It’s not just about market trends or interest rates; it’s about aligning those factors with your personal and financial readiness. In this blog, we’ll cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters when deciding to buy a home. Forget the market hype; let’s get real…

Zillow predictions for the 2024 housing market are out. And much to our surprise, they’ve gotten it mostly right. Here are Zillow’s six predictions for 2024: Housing inventory will rise Affordability will stabilize, and possibly improve The new “starter home” will be a single family rental Urban core rental demand will surge Home buyers will…

We encounter soon-to-be homeowners having this debate ALL the time: Should I buy a townhouse, or a condo?  If you’re having a hard time deciding and you’re in the process of weighing the pros and cons… here are 6 reasons why you should consider buying a townhouse instead of a condo: 1. Investments in townhomes are…

The community-focused, mixed-use Jackson Apartments development on the corner of 23rd and Jackson in Seattle’s Central District has been a long time coming. This massive project is by Vulcan Real Estate, which is part of Vulcan Inc., a company founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Vulcan Real Estate has been responsible for several…

Nestled just south of the International District and offering excellent commuting options to both Downtown Seattle and the Eastside, North Beacon Hill is an absolute gem of a neighborhood. (Matt loves it so much that this is where he’s lived for years now, and this is after living alllll over Seattle!)  In fact, people love North…

Our nation is navigating a very interesting real estate market right now. On the one hand, home prices are up and homes are selling. Interest rates are hovering around 2.9% to 3.1% which gives many buyers good cause for purchasing a home.  On the other hand, there are so many factors at play right now,…

It’s no secret that Seattle is a city of dog lovers—as of 2011 (the most recent numbers we have) according to the U.S. Census and the Seattle Animal Shelter, in Seattle there were 153,000 dogs to 107,178 kids. Seattle’s population has grown a LOT in recent years so it’s possible this has changed, but judging by…

Many jobs and roles these days are being converted to remote or partially remote, and the idea that you can work from home (or work from pretty much anywhere in the world!) is a pretty appealing prospect for most people. Seattle’s employers are no different, and many of our largest employers here offer flexible schedules…

For those who are downsizing their home, there are a unique set of considerations you need to be aware of. When it comes to different situations and scenarios, Loan Consultant Connie Lindsay has seen it all, and she offered a few of her big observations that downsizers should carefully consider: Determine where you want to…

We sat down with Loan Consultant Connie Lindsay and asked her about lending in Seattle. More specifically, we wanted to see what she thought clients should look for when it comes to rates. One of the biggest issues we have with clients is that they love to shop rates when they’re buying a home. And…

Buying and selling a home can be tricky business—the timing, the financing, the home itself—it’s all a balancing act. And when it comes to different buying and selling situations, our favorite lender Connie Lindsay and our team have really seen it all. We wanted to share 3 different home buying and selling scenarios with you…

One of the most popular discount brokers out there right now is advertising that they can sell your home for 103% of its listing price with only a 1% listing fee. That probably sounds great upfront—but do the numbers back it up? What many people don’t realize is that in the Seattle area, the average…

Watch out Seattle, Bryant is moving on up!!! Alyssa, my darling website copywriter, novelist, website guru and fabulous lady set up another neighborhood profile on my website after interviewing me for the content. So you may have guessed she and I were working on Bryant (check out the Bryan neighborhood page right here!). So, I’m…

There will ALWAYS be: Professional photos taken of your home. A video tour. Professional staging. An individual website for the property. The marketing will be consistent in all of its points. We will discover the reason for buyers to believe in this house, and we will make sure it carries through each piece of marketing….

In 2015, North Beacon Hill saw values increase by 17%. A quick search of the King County permits lists about 100 new projects in North Beacon which includes seven residential mid-rise buildings with first floor retail off of 15th and Beacon Ave. Also on the way are new restaurants, pubs, brewers, and yes, a new…