What is Buyer Fatigue?

By Rosie Rourke, posted May 16, 2022

What is Buyer’s Fatigue?

Due to the recent sellers’ market surge we experienced with its high buyer demand, low home inventory and multiple competitive offer situations, many buyers (and their agents) are experiencing “buyer fatigue”. This condition has buyers exhausted by their consistent losses and they choose to step out of the market. There is no official way to gauge the level of fatigue out there, but there are signs that help us predict when a correction in the housing market will occur. We list more homes than any other team in SE King County, so we see trends coming before most other agents because of the volume of homes we sell. For months we have sensed a shift in the market and our agents have been preparing for it. We are seeing less offers on homes, less traffic online, less showings, and even getting skunked at open houses with no one showing up. Buyers just get tired of waving everything, going way over asking, and then losing. BUT, there is good news in all of this…

Having a seasoned, full time and caring buyer’s agent can make all the difference! Believe it or not, agents get buyer fatigue as well. Our listing managers call every agent who shows our listings for feedback. More and more non Rosie Rourke Team buyers agents tell us, “I told my clients the home is going to go so far over asking that it’s not worth my time to write an offer.” Imagine that, a home you LOVED just sitting there with no offers ready to be yours! You need an agent like Lisa, Lexie and Lilia (the Triple L Threat) that have the knowledge, the skills and the drive to make it through the tough times with their buyers. Even during the ultra-competitive markets of the past few years, combined they have helped hundreds of buyers achieve their dreams! They also know when to make the most of an opportunity, and RIGHT NOW there is a HUGE opportunity!!!

NOW IS THE TIME while the sellers’ market cools off and takes a breath! Learn more about our buyers’ agents and what they can do to help you here: www.rosierourke.com/buyers

PS. Sellers, NO, you didn’t miss the market! The price increases of the past 2 years has you in a great position! People always need to buy and we have the targeted marketing, the experience and the skills to sell your home anytime, anywhere! Learn more about our listing agents and our stress-free listing experience here: www.rosierourke.com/selling

Believe in Real Estate

By Rosie Rourke, posted Nov 17, 2020

During a recent team meeting some of my agents who work with our buyer clients said they are hearing rumors about a real estate bubble bursting, just like in 2007 and 2008. Their clients were asking about it and if they should wait to buy. Yes, prices are rising and at times it may feel like a bubble that is about to burst, but you need to look at all angles before making that judgment. Real estate is a great investment. Renting is essentially throwing your money away and paying for the landlord’s mortgage. There is risk with any investment and research is key. I decided to write this blog to show you what I am seeing in the market place as well my own real estate investing experience, you can be the judge for yourself 🙂

I decided to do some research on one of my own properties that I own to give you a concrete example why you should always believe in real estate as a great long term investment. I own a rental home on the West Hill in Auburn. It is an average split level home built in 1983, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 2500 square feet.

I bought it in 2001 for the price of $220,000

2006: $320,000 – height of market before the fall of major recession

2008: $275,000 – the recession

2020: $475,000 – current value as of the fall

You can see how the market fluctuates over the years, but real estate in the long run will always be a good investment, especially around Seattle. Here is a part of a great article I read from Realtor.com last August, it explains why we aren’t seeing another housing bubble like we did in 2007/2008, even during a pandemic.

Why won't we see another Great Recession-era housing bubble?

Published by Realtor.com – August 2020

The sky-high prices of 2020 are being driven by an influx of buyers bidding up prices on a historically low number of homes on the market. Until more properties come online, that dynamic is unlikely to change.

The Great Recession had the opposite problem: There were many more homes available than qualified buyers.

In the aftermath of the housing bust, it's become harder for buyers without good jobs and strong credit to score mortgages. This weeds out riskier borrowers. And unlike the last go-around, when builders were erecting residences at what seemed like a break-neck pace, the under-building of the last few years has exacerbated the housing shortage.

Even if the economy doesn't improve by next year and a vast swath of Americans remain unemployed, we are not likely to see the flood of foreclosures that characterized the housing crash, partly because government protections could be extended.

"It doesn't feel at all like last time, when the market was getting all pumped up by easy mortgage credit," says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics.

The housing bubble burst in 2007/2008 was driven by too much supply and not enough demand. We have the opposite problem right now. If you include low interest rates into the mix, it will continue to be a healthy market.

I also found this recent article that I thought was interesting especially in the post 2020 election era.

Is Seattle a good investment these days with all the turmoil?

Published by Norada Real Estate Investments – October 4^th, 2020

Seattle has long been a second-tier technology hub, bolstered by companies like Boeing, Amazon, F5, and Real Networks. Seattle’s strong tech ecosystem has led to a number of startups choosing to start here, but more importantly, many tech giants are setting up “outposts” here. They’re moving jobs to Seattle so they can afford to expand or simply afford to remain in business. The influx of new high paying jobs plus relocating employees to Seattle is driving demand for homes in Seattle.

Over the past 10 years, Amazon has grown more than tenfold in the city of Seattle, from about 4,000 employees in its hometown to over 45,000. During the same time, the median home price in the city has shot up from $420,000 to $720,000 (according to the Northwest MLS) and home prices in the metro area as a whole have gone up 47 percent. Between 2008 and 2018, over 535,000 homes have sold in the entire Seattle metro area. For comparison, that’s 41 percent more than in the similarly-sized San Diego metro area.

Much of this growth in the local housing market can likely be attributed to growth at Amazon. The Seattle real estate market shares many of the constraints that drove up real estate prices in San Francisco. You can’t realistically build on water. It is hard to build in the mountains. You can build up, but that takes time and is expensive. And all the while, everyone wants to live close to the city center and jobs. This helps keep property values in the Seattle housing market high.

The areas around Seattle and the Eastside like Renton, Kent, Fairwood & Maple Valley in the south and Bothel, Kenmore, Woodenville & Lynwood in the north have seen an influx of new buyers. These suburbs are more affordable and when you can work remotely, you can live anywhere!

Ok, none of us have a crystal ball here, but I have firsthand experience of not only being in the real estate business for 25 years, but I am also a homeowner and investor who lived through the last recession and housing bubble. The prices will continue to rise in our area, most industry experts agree on this. Now is a great time to buy with low interest rates, in many cases you can own a home for what you are currently paying in rent! Contact our team and let’s talk numbers, we want to be your guide to homeownership in 2020 and beyond!

Dual Agent Vs. Team

By Rosie Rourke, posted Oct 15, 2020

Team vs. Dual Agent

Clients often ask us, “why did form a team instead of just doing everything yourself?” In the beginning of Rosie’s 25 year career she did it all! She chose to form a team for several reasons such as being able to help more people, growing the business, streamlining the process and also ethical representation for her clients on both the buying and selling sides. In this blog we are going to focus on the latter…

What is a dual agent?

A dual agent is when a real estate agent works with the buyer and the seller on the same transaction simultaneously. Here’s a common scenario when dual agency may occur:

A real estate agent is hired to sell the home of a client named Mary. That real estate agent has a second client, named Rob, who is in the market to buy a home. Rob tours Mary’s home and decides he wants to purchase the home. Because both Rob and Mary are clients of the same real estate agent, the transaction is considered an example of dual agency.

Sounds pretty cut and dry, right? WRONG! It can muddy the waters because it creates a huge Conflict of Interest. When a real estate agent represents a seller, they are supposed to obtain the highest possible price for their seller with the least amount of contingencies. Similarly, when an agent represents a buyer, they are supposed to help them get the lowest possible price while making them feel comfortable with the condition of the home, usually through an inspection. However, if the same agent is representing both the buyer and the seller, getting the client the best price becomes extremely difficult. If the real estate agent is selling a home that is overpriced, they cannot disclose that to the buyer because they are going against their loyalty to their seller. However, they are also doing a disservice to their buyer because they are knowingly selling an overpriced home and are unable to advise the buyer against purchasing it out of loyalty to the seller. Without realizing it, the agent may also favor one side of the party a bit more than the other, depending on how long the real estate agent has known the buyer/seller, personal relationships, etc. This may be completely unintentional but can happen without the real estate agent realizing it.

A dual agent is more likely to overlook important details as well! Being a dual agent is extremely stressful and puts the real estate agent in a precarious situation. Managing both a buyer and a seller on the same transaction simultaneously may lead the real estate agent to mix up certain documents or miss important information altogether without meaning to do so. They also have the inability to negotiate price or inspection issues. In dual agency, the real estate agent is working in the best interests of both the buyer and the seller, making negotiations tricky. In a standard transaction scenario where a buyer’s agent and seller’s agent are both involved, the seller’s agent will advocate on the seller’s behalf to ensure the seller does not have to pay excessive repair costs if an inspection report comes back with several issues. The buyer’s agent will do the same for their buyer, negotiating that the repairs are taken care of or the buyer is credited in some way for excessive repair costs. However, this is difficult to do as a dual agent because the real estate agent’s interest is divided equally between the buyer and seller.

For the reasons outlined above, this is why we formed a team. An ethically-minded real estate agent always puts their clients’ needs first, even if that means giving up a larger commission. We have buyer’s agents who work exclusively with our buyers and seller’s agents who work exclusively with our sellers. As listing agent Melissa Hudson always says, “it’s like church and state”, meaning we as a team keep everything separate to protect the clients. This is the way we have chosen to do business and it must be working, we are the top real estate team in the King County area and top 1% nationwide! It pays to put your clients first!

LIVE TO LIST

By Rosie Rourke, posted Apr 06, 2020

From Living in Your Home to Listing Your Home!

People always ask me, "Rosie, how is your team different from other real estate agents?" We take the time and put in the work BEFORE your home lists to help you get it ready! Most agents sign the listing agreement and you don't hear from them until listing day... that is NOT US! I've always found that pre-inspections, work orders and simple updates to a home is the secret sauce for a successful listing.

My team and I meet with vetted contractors, help you declutter/organize, and we know what today's buyer is looking for. We are there to hold your hand every step of the way, we want this to be a stress free experience! Here is a great example of a recent listing in Fairwood and how they went from LIVE TO LIST with the Rosie Rourke Team, enjoy!

After watching the video you'll first hand how we were able to help this client! Yes, they did get top dollar, which is important, but they also had a stress free experience! Here is a great testimonial from them:

"We have watched Rosie and her team in action over the years and thought perhaps her group would be a good choice when it was time to sell our home and find a new one. We were impressed from our first meeting with her team. To say she knows the area she sells in is an understatement. Rosie and her group are long-standing community members who truly have the business experience to put their knowledge and connections to work for clients. Let me be clear-we also chose Rosie and her group because we really had confidence that they were working in our best interest at all times-not something we feel is true of all agents in our area. Rosie’s team was there for us at every level with advice, assistance and excellent business contacts for banking, contractors, inspections...the works! We brought a home to market with a clean inspection, completed a purchase of a new home and sale of existing one in a few short weeks. Looking back, I know for certain we would have spent more money and taken much longer to get to the finish line had we worked with anyone else. We are so grateful for all the hard work and responsiveness of her entire team. Questions were answered, problems solved, good humor an professionalism right down the line. This is not our first home and we recall all the setbacks and frustrations that can come about during this process if details are missed or someone has their bottom line as a priority over your own. We are doubly aware of the quality of services we received. Do not hesitate to give Rosie’s group a call. I’d put them at the top of your list. Set up a meeting, do your homework and let them impress you."

Need Help?

Thinking about buying or selling? Fill out the form below to get in touch with me (Rosie) or you can call or text me anytime with questions!

Rosie’s Real Estate Reveal: What Does Contingent Mean?

By Rosie Rourke, posted Oct 07, 2018

Welcome to another edition of Rosie’s Real Estate Reveal! These are blogs where Rosie Rourke helps you understand real estate terms and what they mean to you, the buyer or seller! Today’s reveal is all about contingent offers! Believe it or not, a lot of newer agents don’t even understand what a contingent offer is. Honestly it’s been a while since listing agents have been accepting them. But now with the market slow down, massive amounts of homes for sale, and buyers that have cooled off, agents are entertaining the contingent offers again.

What is a contingent offer?

It simple terms, it’s when a home buyer makes an offer on a new home before selling their current home. The sale of the new home is contingent or dependent on the sale of the current home. The “official” definition is as such: It means an offer on a home has been made and the seller has accepted it, but the finalized sale is contingent upon certain criteria that have to be met. Usually the successful sale of the buyer’s current home.

What does this mean for you?

When a home is “Contingent” it doesn’t mean the house has SOLD and is off the market! Did you know that you can still tour and MAKE AN OFFER on a contingent home? Not a backup offer, but you can BUMP the contingent offer and the home is YOURS!

So if you are in the market, see a home you love, and the status says Contingent… you still have a chance! I actually have 2 homes listed right now that are contingent, both of these sellers are looking for new buyers to BUMP the current contingent offers!

Large home for sale in Covington!

Rambler for sale in Fairwood Renton, WA

Posts Categorized: Real Estate Terms