Tracie's Thoughts

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Home Ownership Affordable Travel through Timeshare Ownership A few weeks ago my family went on our annual Florida vacation, but this year it looked and felt very different. The timeshare we own was unfortunately destroyed by Hurricane Ian only two weeks before our scheduled vacation.  My grandparents bought this condo in the 80’s and gifted the weeks they owned to their grandchildren […]
Buying a Home Quarterly Market Reports for Q2 2022 As we head into the second half of 2022, we are experiencing a shift in the real estate market. The market is starting to balance out after two years of an intense seller’s market. Q1 this year had the lowest amount of inventory we have ever seen, which put upward pressure on prices. With the […]
Buying a Home Your Kids College Education for Free! 3 Years ago a family I had met in my previous career reached out to me because their daughter was coming to Western Washington University. They had the idea that on-campus housing or even renting an apartment off-campus would be a waste of money. And they were SO RIGHT! Sadie (pictured above) just graduated from […]
Community Summer Food Drive! Every year since 1984, Windermere has designated one day to help make a positive difference in the communities where we work and live. 2022 is the 7th year that my office has spent this day working to put fresh produce on the tables of local families who need a little help. On June 10th, my […]
Buying a Home 5% Interest Rates Interest rates have gone up in the past few months! But, they are still well below the historical average. In fact, they are 2 points below the 30-year average! Buyers are best to get qualified on payment, not rate. What does this mean? It means we work with a lender who helps us figure out […]
Market Updates The Gardner Report At Windermere, we are fortunate to have Matthew Gardner as our Chief Economist. In fact, we are one of the only real estate companies in the country to have such a well-respected expert sitting in this role. Not only is Matthew an asset to Windermere brokers and their clients, but he is a coveted resource […]
Community Skagit Valley Tulip Festival IS BACK! One of my favorite things to do in spring is to visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival!  Words truly cannot express the vibrant beauty of the colors spread across millions of flowers!  The pandemic limited the festival’s activities, but this year many activities that were on hiatus for the past few years are ON AGAIN, […]
Tracie's Thoughts Fair Housing April is FAIR HOUSING month for the National Association of Realtors. If you have not noticed I’m an advocate for every single person becoming a homeowner and building wealth in real estate. Here’s just a few of the commitments I uphold as a member of the Association of Realtors. I commit to Provide equal professional […]
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Buying a Home Spring Market in Bloom – Keeping Perspective is Paramount As we round out the first quarter of 2022 and head into the notorious Spring Market there are a handful of factors that should be considered whether you are a buyer or a seller. Paying attention to the anticipated increase in housing supply, monitoring buyer demand, and assessing the effects of rising interest rates on […]
Community UPDATE: Global influences on the Housing Market & Interest Rates A lot has happened in our world since the first of the year, specifically the rise in inflation and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. These factors can influence consumers and affect the housing and financial markets. Additionally, global unrest has had a clear influence on interest rates, driving them back down after a 1-point […]
Tracie's Thoughts 2021 Success Your support and encouragement in 2021 have helped me maintain a thriving business through your referrals and personal endorsements. Thank you all for being such a meaningful part of my business and life this year! For this, I am eternally grateful! Thank you for your ongoing trust, support and friendship. This year I had the […]
Community Matthew Gardner’s 2022 Predictions for the Local Economy & Real Estate Market Last week, my office hosted our 14th annual Economic Forecast Event with Matthew Gardner, Windermere’s Chief Economist. It was an hour-long presentation followed by lively Q & A that was packed with useful information to help guide us as we start the new year. Matthew journeyed the audience through a macro to micro approach, reflecting […]
Tracie's Thoughts Is your home Windermere Ready? Home improvements with no upfront costs leads to profitable seller returns.   How a home is prepared for the market has a direct economic effect on the results a seller will have in the marketplace. Making home updates to match today’s trends, repairing deferred maintenance items, deep cleaning, and home staging all help contribute to a higher return for home sellers and less time on the market. According […]
Monday with Matthew 2022 Predictions for the Real Estate Market At Windermere, we have the benefit of being expertly guided by our Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner. Every year he shares his predictions for the US Economy and Housing Market. I have included a list of highlights below along with a link to a video where he spells it all out. Matthew’s Forecast for the US […]
Market Updates The Zillow Algorithm vs The Human Algorithm: What is best for the consumer? The recent news of Zillow’s plan to shut down their iBuyer program due to a $328 million loss in the third quarter has heads spinning in the real estate world and on Wall Street.  Sadly, Zillow plans to eliminate 25% of its workforce because of its decision to move away from the practice of purchasing […]
Tracie's Thoughts Visit Maewood Haven & Take in the Beauty of Mt. Baker As you may have seen on social media, my husband and I recently purchased a cute little cabin up in Glacier’s Snowline Community. We have been working all summer to repair and remodel the cabin along with designing the interior and prepping it to become an Airbnb this coming winter. After a lot of time […]
Market Updates 2021 Year-to-Date Real Estate Market Review I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the 2021 real estate market has been a head-turner! In the second half of 2020, once we started to emerge from the COVID lockdown, the real estate market started to bustle with activity. 2020 ended up being a robust real estate year driven by low interest […]
Community Newsletter – Q2 Gardner Report & Summer Food Drive Recap   At Windermere, we are fortunate to have Matthew Gardner as our Chief Economist. In fact, we are one of the only real estate companies in the country to have such a well-respected expert sitting in this role. Not only is Matthew an asset to Windermere brokers and their clients, but he is a coveted […]
Tracie's Thoughts A Quick Bellingham Market Peak . . . Last week I noticed something while doing a quick little peek at the market for Whatcom County—On my screen were seven days of activity in the single-family homes category. There were 85 new listings and 111 pending.  This is a pretty normal ratio that we have been seeing over the last couple of years. (Notice […]
Community Newsletter – Summertime 2021: No Relief in Heat, But Relief for Buyers   Last week I heard a quote from Mike Loftin of the Urban Institute that resonated with me. “We need to stop seeing housing as a reward for financial success and instead see it as a critical tool that can facilitate financial success.” Homeownership as an investment has always been a long-term hold in order for […]
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