What to Make of Seattle’s Market Cooldown

It’s been a time of some uncertainty in the Seattle real estate market, as buyers and sellers have felt wary of falling home prices, longer market times, and growing inventory. As a Seattle Times article from early September noted, “home prices are continuing to fall across an unseasonably cool Seattle real estate market, with homes that would have been snapped up in an instant just several months ago now sitting unsold.” August represented the third straight month of median home price declines in King County, with the countywide cost of a single-family home, at $669,000, down nearly $60,000 compared to May 2018.

Market UpdateAaron FreemanSeptember 17, 2018Seattle, Seattle Times, King County, Ballard, Sunset Hill, Head Tax, Population Growth, Interest RatesComment

Do You Know the Fastest Growing Neighborhoods in Our Region?

Home to Amazon’s Seattle campus and explosive growth over the past few years, many will be unsurprised to hear that the fastest-growing neighborhood in the region is South Lake Union. The second neighborhood, however, may come as a surprise. To get there, you have to travel to the Eastside…

Inventory Gains Help Ease Home Price Growth in Washington State

Those searching for homes in Western Washington are now choosing “from the largest supply of homes in three years,” this according to the latest press release published by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). As the report outlines, home price growth has slowed significantly, at 6.7 percent across all counties surveyed. This paired with inventory gains is alleviating some pressure on buyers in the market.

Base2Space 2018 - FIGHT CANCER!

On Sunday, September 30th, I am participating in Base2Space 2018, a climb that supports the critical studies at Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. I will be climbing the open-air stairwell of the Space Needle from Base to Space, traveling 832 steps up 98 flights of stairs to reach the observation deck, which stands 520 feet in the air.

PhilanthropyAaron FreemanSeptember 17, 2018Events, Philanthropy, Base2Space, Space Needle, Seattle, Fred Hutch, Cancer ResearchComment

Puget Sound Inventory Gains Leave Some Buyers Hopeful

Inventory—particularly a lack thereof—has been on the mind of many Seattleites in recent years, particularly those that decide to take a leap into homeownership. And after years of the same story, things are beginning to change, as a Realtor.com report cited by Puget Sound Business Journal reveals “‘a quiet inventory turnaround’ in high-priced markets” as the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region saw a near 30-percent increase in the number of active listings in July 2018.

Market Update, Real Estate TrendsAaron FreemanAugust 20, 2018Puget Sound Business Journal, PSBJ, Inventory, San Jose, Seattle, Realtor.comComment

Washington Ranked Second Best State for U.S. Business in 2018

Every year, CNBC ranks all 50 states to determine those that are the top destinations for businesses, using “more than 60 measures of competitiveness, developed with input from a broad and diverse array of business and policy experts, official government sources, the CNBC Global CFO Council, YPO and the states themselves.” In order to achieve balanced results, points are awarded to states from ten overarching categories and are weighted depending on how frequently they are used as selling points for economic development.

Local Economy, InvestmentAaron FreemanAugust 20, 2018Washington, CNBC, Business, Texas, Best U.S. States for BusinessComment

WeWork Adds to Seattle Presence with Two New Leases

WeWork, an international co-working space provider, is greatly adding to its Emerald City footprint, as a recent report by Colliers International reveals that WeWork signed the two largest leases in Seattle in the second quarter of 2018, securing 120,000 square feet of office space at Metropolitan Park East, and an additional 115,000 at 1201 3rd Avenue. Seattle ranked tenth on the list of the nation’s top office markets, but its performance is quite stellar given the strength of WeWork and e-commerce giant Amazon.

Google Continues to Cement its Presence in South Lake Union’s Tech Hub

Exciting news came from Google on August 14th, as Puget Sound Business Journal broke the story that the search engine giant is working with Vulcan Inc. to build a fifth office building for the company in the fast-growing South Lake Union neighborhood where it already has four in construction. The new building will stand 12 stories tall and complement the “Lakefront Blocks,” which will top 607,000 square feet of office space with apartments for rent.

Sellers Bring Down Sales Prices as Seattle Market Continues to Cool

For the first time in years, homes in the Seattle area are spending weeks—rather than just days—on the market, bidding wars become an exception to the rule, and sellers are bringing down sales prices to attract buyers in a cooling market. As Seattle Times reports, July 2018 was the first time in four years that the market began to lean in favor of the buyer, as inventory continues to increase, this time at a staggering 44-percent rate in King County.

2018 Waterfront Update

Realogics Sotheby's International Realty recently released a Waterfront Update that examines regions across Puget Sound and highlights popular waterfront communities with information regarding home values, sales trends and market activity. The report is centered around price trends and the typical location factors that affect the value of any real estate. Waterfront sales, however, may also be influenced by other aquatic factors including docks, moorage, beach or tidelands access, and more.

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Aaron Freeman