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Snohomish County Real Estate Market Update
Let’s look at the 2021 real estate market and see what it’s telling us about what to expect in 2022.
Snohomish County Real Estate Market Update
Snohomish County Housing Market
Updated for Winter/Spring 2022
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
December 2021 Data
Home prices had already started to rise before the pandemic, but the pandemic created a rapid acceleration. In 2021, we saw the median home price increase by 22.5%, going from $571k to $700k.
Even Zillow predicted a strong real estate market this year and we got one.
Why the huge increase in prices? LOW INVENTORY.
We don’t have enough homes for sale. This makes for more competition between buyers to WIN the house in a bidding war, driving prices up.
Should we expect the same growth this year?
We still don't have enough homes on the market to cause a big shift. I would expect to continue to see prices rise over the next year.
Should wait for prices to drop before buying a house? No. We probably won’t see prices drop this year.
Interest rates are still very low but they are rising so your buying power is decreasing.
Love a good visual?
See the graphs below.
Median Sales Price —— Increased over the course of the year.
Homes for Sale —- Trending downward. We need more houses to come on the market for the market to balance out.
Median Price Per Square Foot —- Increased. As a seller, you’re getting more for your house now than ever before.
Curious to see what your house would sell for?
Interest Rates — Why They Play A Big Role
Here are the current national rates.
For now, rates are still low but they’re rising.
FAQS
Why have prices increased?
When you have a low number of homes for sale and a high demand for homes from buyers, you get buyers competing with each other to win. One of the best ways to do that is to offer to pay more money. Every time this happens, this helps the next future house sell for more as well because the overall value of the area increases.
Have a question you want answered?
You might be interested in…
I've Been Featured in Home.com - Should Sellers Accept VA Offers? Yes. Here Are Five Reasons Why.
Thank you Home.com for reaching out and asking me to share my expertise as a REALTOR.
Should Sellers Accept VA Offers? Yes. Here Are Five Reasons Why.
September 2021
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
&
Erik Martin, Home.com Contributor
Thank you Home.com for reaching out and asking me to share my expertise as a REALTOR. Here’s what I said:
“Because they don’t need to put any money down on the loan, these buyers often have more cash at their disposal to pay for their closing costs or appraisal differences.”
“One of the most rewarding things about accepting an offer with a VA loan is knowing that you are showing a veteran that you appreciate his or her service,” Serviss said. “It can seem like a small gesture, but it can have a huge impact on that service member or veteran.”
They can negotiate with the buyer to find a number that works for both parties. However, the seller must pay a portion of the buyer’s escrow fee, according to REALTOR® Nicole Serviss, and the cost can vary from state to state.
The whole article is a very thorough rundown of everything you need to know about why you should accept an offer with a VA loan. See the full article —> HERE
Nicole Serviss, Broker and REALTOR with RE/MAX Elite
Let me know if I can help you purchase a home.
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I've Been Featured in The Epoch Times - Inflation and the Price of Goods
Thank you Epoch Times for reaching out and asking me to share my expertise as a REALTOR. Here’s what I said:
Inflation and the Price of Goods: What to Buy Now and What to Avoid
August 2021
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
Thank you Epoch Times for reaching out and asking me to share my expertise as a REALTOR. Here’s what I said:
Large purchases such as homes can trigger extra stress when prices are climbing.
“Some buyers are being priced out of their desired areas,” Nicole Serviss, a realtor in the Seattle area, told The Epoch Times.
“In some cases, it’s better to overpay for a home now just to guarantee you’ll be able to buy one, than to wait,” she said.
If your timeline is flexible, however, you may decide to home shop next year to evaluate prices. You’ll also want to consider interest rates on mortgages and monthly payments to see if the amount fits into your budget.
The whole article is a very thorough rundown of everything you need to know about what to buy now and what to avoid in an inflated market. See the full article —> HERE
Nicole Serviss, Broker and REALTOR with RE/MAX Elite
Let me know if I can help you purchase a home.
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I've Been Featured in The Ultimate Guide of How to Become a Landlord
Thank you Steadily for reaching out and asking me to share my experiences as a landlord. Here’s what I said.
Thank you Steadily for reaching out and asking me to share my experiences as a landlord. Here’s what I said:
“I bought my first home at a very young age. 4 kids later, my family quickly outgrew that 1200 sqft home. When it was time to upsize, I had a decision to make: keep or sell.
Being located in a military town, it was an easy decision to make it a rental. It was about 90 minutes away from my new home, so I had a management company handle things for me. After years of positive cash flow, I eventually sold that single-family home and used the funds in a 1031 exchange to buy a duplex closer to my new home.
With my new duplex so close to me, I could now manage it myself and increase my monthly cash flow. I became a member of my state landlord association and that has been pivotal in making this new venture a success. They provide leases, updates on landlord-tenant laws, tenant screening, and support. I have a great group of mentors that have helped me make this landlord venture a success. I’m always on the lookout for more rentals and
look forward to being a great landlord/businesswoman for future tenants.”
The whole article is a very thorough rundown of everything you need to know to become a landlord. See the full article —> HERE
Nicole Serviss, Broker and REALTOR with RE/MAX Elite
Let me know if I can help give you an estimated value of your investment property.
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1031 Exchange Trends and Info for 2021 With Guest Writer Kyle Williams IPX1031
Like Kind Exchanges, also known as tax deferred exchanges, are defined by Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 1031. A 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange offers taxpayers one of the last great opportunities to build wealth and save taxes. Find out more about this service to help you keep more money in your pocket when you go to sell your investment property.
Please welcome our guest writer, Kyle Williams with 1031 IPX Exchange.
January 2021
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
Kyle Williams, IPX1031
First of all, what is a 1031 Exchange?
Like Kind Exchanges, also known as tax deferred exchanges, are defined by Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 1031. A 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange offers taxpayers one of the last great opportunities to build wealth and save taxes. By completing a 1031 Exchange, the Taxpayer (“Exchanger”) can dispose of investment or business-use assets, acquire replacement property and defer the tax that would ordinarily be due upon the sale.
Courtesy of IPX 1031
2020 was yet again another record year for 1031 Exchanges.
What’s in store for 2021?
Commercial real estate is predicted to have a mixed forecast in 2021 with certain sectors, such as industrial, experiencing robust growth while others continue to struggle. With low interest rates expected to continue and the economy recovering, many CRE sectors should normalize by mid to late 2021 if the vaccines are widely available.
Another strong year for 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange transactional activity is anticipated in 2021. Two factors will drive significant transactional activity. First, borrowing rates remain historically low. Second, the pandemic has created an unprecedented need to repurpose and renovate commercial real estate to meet post-pandemic business models.
Particularly impacted are office, retail and hotel properties, given the successes of widespread working from home and use of virtual meeting technology. Even multi-family and single family rental properties now need space for use as a home office.
Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges provide incentive for owners who are not in a position to make significant building modifications to transfer properties into the hands of buyers willing and able to invest fresh capital and take these properties to their highest and best use for future tenant needs.
Given the dueling pandemic and economic crises, major tax reform does not appear to be a current priority of the new Administration. Nevertheless, the need to pay for pandemic relief and new legislative initiatives could make Section 1031 a target for tax revenue seekers. Our efforts to educate our policy makers to the legitimate, economically important benefits of Section 1031 continue.
1031 trends we are anticipating:
Continued 1031 growth in industrial, self-storage, R&D, medical/office, and multi-family sectors.
Individual exchangers will continue to sell investment property and purchase Replacement Property in warmer climates or other locations with high vacation rental income.
Continued increase of Replacement Property purchases of qualifying vacation home rental properties.
An uptick in Build-to-Suit Exchanges where clients make improvements to their Replacement Properties.
Reverse Exchange momentum will continue to grow with a shortage of Replacement Property inventory and a competitive buyers market.
Retirement/Estate planning with Exchanged property will drive much investor 1031 transactional activity.
Especially while the interest rates on financing are low and favorable, more taxpayers maximizing their 1031 tax deferral potential to grow their portfolios by selling while prices stay high, preserving their equity by using all proceeds to exchange into the purchase of larger or multiple Replacement Properties.
With expected recovery and overall growth in investment and commercial real estate transactions, we are forecasting another strong year for 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange transactional activity.
A 1031 Exchange transaction requires planning, expertise and support.
Here’s a checklist outlining key steps in your exchange.
Choose your 1031 Qualified Intermediary (QI)
Consult with your tax professionals
Include Cooperation Clause language in your purchase and sale agreement
QI prepares your exchange documents
Start searching for Replacement Property
Sign all documents QI prepares
Sell your Relinquished Property
Identify your Replacement Property
Enter into contract on Replacement Property
Contact QI once Replacement Property escrow is opened
Close on Replacement Property
QI transfers funds to complete your purchase
Your exchange is complete
Thank you Kyle and IPX1031 for sharing this great information! His contact info is below. Please reach out to him if you have plans to sell your investment property (land, multi-family, rental house, commercial space) and tell him Nicole Serviss sent you!
Kyle Williams, Vice President and Account Executive with Investment Property Exchange Services, Inc.
responsible for IPX1031 sales covering Washington state. With over 15 years of financial brokerage and real estate experience, including REITs, 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges, 1031 Exchange rules and regulations, and other real estate investments, he enjoys speaking with brokers, CPAs, attorneys, investors, and real estate professionals. Kyle received his B.A. from The Central Washington University in Political Science and History.
Nicole Serviss, Broker and REALTOR with RE/MAX Elite
Let me know if I can help give you an estimated value of your investment property.
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2021 Real Estate Market Forecast - Snohomish County - Will it Crash or Boom Again?
2020 Real Estate Market Annual Review and 2021 Predictions. Let’s look at the 2020 real estate market and see what it’s telling us about what to expect in 2021.
What the 2020 Real Estate Market Will Tell Us about 2021 - My Predictions
Will it crash or boom again?
Snohomish County Housing Market
January 2021
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
Despite the tumultuous year, the housing market saw a large boom in 2020. We had a short pause in the spring when the lockdowns first began, but the year ended with record breaking sales.
Sales continue to rise along with house prices. Millions of people throughout the country were laid off or furloughed, but it didn’t stop the house hunters from buying homes.
Home prices had already started to rise before the pandemic, but the pandemic created a rapid acceleration. We saw the average home prices increase by 15% in some areas of Snohomish County going from $554,879 to $630,769 in 2020.
Even Zillow is prediction a strong real estate market for 2021. Even with the large boom in 2020, they are still expecting to see a 10% growth in prices in 2021.
Why the huge increase in prices? LOW INVENTORY.
We don’t have enough homes for sale. This makes for more competition between buyers to WIN the house in a bidding war, driving prices up.
Should we expect the same growth in 2021?
Yes and no. We will continue to see home prices rise, but a little more slowly.
Does this mean you should wait for prices to drop before buying a house? No. We probably won’t see prices drop this year.
Interest rates are still very low so you can get more house for your money because it is so cheap to borrow right now.
Love a good visual? See the graphs below showing 2020’s data.
Median Sales Price —— Increased over the course of the year.
Homes for Sale —- Increased at the start of the year and then rapidly declined to where there are hardly any houses left.
Median Price Per Square Foot —- Increased. You are getting less house for your money.
Interest Rates — Why They Play A Big Role
Checking out the chart, you can see how rates have continued to decrease over the course of the year (minus this little dip here as we get into January). Will they continue to rise or go back down?
Election years always produce nice low rates, and 2020 was no exception.
For now, rates are still really low and give you, the buyer, more power to purchase a higher priced house while still keeping your monthly payment affordable.
“Some economists forecast that rates will break the 3% range in 2021, but not rise much higher than 3.1% to 3.3%.
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) says it believes the average rate for a 30-year mortgage will start at 2.9% in the first quarter of 2021 and gradually increase to 3.2% by the end of 2021.” Source, Forbes.com
How does this affect you?
If you’re a home seller—This means you have a lot of buyers that can leverage more buying power because their monthly payments are much lower at this rate than the rates last year.
If you’re a potential buyer—You can use this time to borrow money and even though home prices have risen, your monthly payment might not because of these low rates.
FAQS
Why have prices increased?
When you have a low number of homes for sale and a high demand for homes from buyers, you get buyers competing with each other to win. One of the best ways to do that is to offer to pay more money. Every time this happens, this helps the next future house sell for more as well because the overall value of the area increases.
Have a question you want answered?
You might be interested in…
July 2020 Market Update - Snohomish County Real Estate
Your Snohomish County real estate market update for July, 2020.
*Week of 7/23/2020, Source http://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/
Let’s start by taking a look at the interest rates. They are at historic lows. I really hate using the word “historic” because it sounds like I’m trying to sell you something, but these rates really are historically low. It’s incredibly cheap to borrow money right now.
If you’re a home seller—This means you have a lot of buyers that can leverage more buying power because their monthly payments are much lower at this rate than the rates last year.
If you’re a potential buyer—You can use this time to borrow money and even though home prices have risen, your monthly payment might not because of these low rates.
*Stats for June 2020, Source NWMLS.com
Now onto the real estate stats.
We have 9% less listings coming on the market.
We have an increase of 21.5% in pending home sales.
Homes are only on the market an average of 20 days before they find a buyer.
Your average sales price has increase over 5% to a range of $539k to $581k.
When a house does sell, it is selling for an average of 101% of the listed price.
What this translate to is a strong seller’s market. This is for all of Snohomish County, which is a huge county. Each city and area is unique, but overall, our real estate market is strong and healthy.
FAQS
Why have prices increased?
When you have a low number of homes for sale and a high demand for homes from buyers, you get buyers competing with each other to win. One of the best ways to do that is to offer to pay more money. Every time this happens, this helps the next future house sell for more as well because the overall value of the area increases.
Is it a good time to sell?
Yes! A lot of homes that are marketed well and priced at fair market value are selling for at or above their listed price and in record times.
Is it a good time to buy?
While it is difficult at times to compete with all the other buyers out there, it is still a great time to buy because money is so cheap to borrow right now. The prices of homes are projected to continue to increase, so it will only get more and more expensive.
Have a question you want answered?
Contact Nicole here.
A One Week Snapshot of the Market
🏠 In the last 7 days, we have had 321 new listings hit the market. Still not enough homes for sale though. Look at how many have found buyers and have sold!
🏠 586 homes found buyers!
🏠 352 homes sold!
We consistently have around 250-275 homes listed each week and the number of homes sold keeps increasing. This is such a strong seller’s market.
We are in an inventory shortage, meaning we need more homes for sale. If you’ve been thinking of selling your house, now is a great time. Interest rates are low and we have a large pool of buyers ready to buy. Please reach out if I can help answer any questions.
📈 Want more stats specific to you and your niche market? Contact me here.
Last Week’s Stats
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Every Lake Front Home for Sale in Snohomish County
Want to move to a Lakefront home? I’ve put together a list of every lake home in the Snohomish County area.
Every Lakefront Home for Sale in Snohomish County
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
Ready to move to your dream lakefront home?
I’ve put together a list of every lakefront home for sale in the Snohomish area.
Submit the quick and easy form for your copy of the complete list and to be registered for an updated list to be sent weekly.
Only 11 Lakefront Homes To Choose From!
as of 4/13/2020
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Market Update - Snohomish County Real Estate 4/10/2020
Your Snohomish County real estate market update for April 10th, 2020.
Snohomish County Real Estate Market
April 10th, 2020
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
📈 Market update 📈
In Snohomish County, in the last 7 days, we have had a healthy number (207) of new listings hit the market.
🏠 23 homes increased their asking price while 93 decreased their asking price.
🏠 260 homes found buyers! That is great considering the economic unrest right now.
🏠 57 homes lost buyers and are back on the market. This happens for various reasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of job uncertainty for home buyers. This number is smaller than last week. I was expecting to see more cancelled listings, but only 15 listings decided to go off the market this week.
📈 Want more stats specific to you and your niche market? Contact me here.
Median Sales Price
$500,000
Days on Market
11
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Every One-Story Home for Sale in the Snohomish Area - Get The List!
Need to move to a single story home? I’ve put together a list of every one story home in the Snohomish area.
Every One-Story Home for Sale in the Snohomish Area
Nicole Serviss, RE/MAX Elite
Need to move to a single story home?
I’ve put together a list of every one story home in the Snohomish area.
Submit the quick and easy form for your copy of the complete list and to be registered for an updated list to be sent weekly.
181 Ramblers To Choose From!
as of 4/10/2020
Stats For One Story Homes in Snohomish County
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