Author Topic: Seattle Real Estate Market  (Read 3540 times)

Frugal D

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Seattle Real Estate Market
« on: July 13, 2014, 03:20:45 PM »
Recently posted on a specific house I was looking at in Seattle, but wanted to take a more macro view of the Seattle market with the forum if there are any NW-Mustachians out there.

Any real estate agents or economists amongst us who can shed some light on the value of the Seattle market right now? To me, it just looks a little over-bought. But I know Amazon, Microsoft, start-ups, etc. have the potential to drive it higher still.

Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Cressida

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2014, 09:54:45 PM »
I've lived here my whole life. During the downturn (approximately 2007-2011), houses were going down in value (we bought a house up in Kenmore in 2003 and sold it at a small loss in 2011). Other than that period, I have never experienced anything other than a booming market here. If you're looking to buy, do it now. Don't wait.

sol

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2014, 10:11:10 PM »
There is a whole blog devoted to this topic.  Hundreds of posts, with graphs and everything.

http://seattlebubble.com/blog/

arebelspy

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2014, 10:18:52 AM »
There is a whole blog devoted to this topic.  Hundreds of posts, with graphs and everything.

http://seattlebubble.com/blog/

Looking at the URL, I sense no bias whatsoever.  ;)

I see the domain was registered in 06.. I wonder what the 09-12 posts were like?  (I.e. did they advocate for a good time to buy?  When did they switch back to saying it was a new bubble?)

I wouldn't personally buy in Seattle, because I buy for cash flow, and there's not much to be found there, but the doom and gloom ZeroHedge type sites don't have a lot of sway with me, no matter how many charts and graphs they post.
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

waltworks

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2014, 12:25:58 PM »
Largest population cohort in the USA right now is the 19-24s. Guess when most of them will start having kids? Yep, in the next few years and for a solid decade going forward. Guess who buys their first house? Someone about to have a kid.

I would never suggest buying just to gamble on appreciation but I am very bullish on housing in the near/medium term. Demographics are favorable almost everywhere in the US.

-W

There is a whole blog devoted to this topic.  Hundreds of posts, with graphs and everything.

http://seattlebubble.com/blog/

Looking at the URL, I sense no bias whatsoever.  ;)

I see the domain was registered in 06.. I wonder what the 09-12 posts were like?  (I.e. did they advocate for a good time to buy?  When did they switch back to saying it was a new bubble?)

I wouldn't personally buy in Seattle, because I buy for cash flow, and there's not much to be found there, but the doom and gloom ZeroHedge type sites don't have a lot of sway with me, no matter how many charts and graphs they post.

arebelspy

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2014, 12:37:18 PM »
Largest population cohort in the USA right now is the 19-24s. Guess when most of them will start having kids? Yep, in the next few years and for a solid decade going forward. Guess who buys their first house? Someone about to have a kid.

I would never suggest buying just to gamble on appreciation but I am very bullish on housing in the near/medium term. Demographics are favorable almost everywhere in the US.

-W

An article on this exact thing on Business Insider from yesterday: http://www.businessinsider.com/calculated-risk-demographics-2014-8
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

waltworks

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #6 on: August 11, 2014, 06:10:30 PM »
Yeah, CR has been talking about that for a few years. Great stuff, he's one of the very, very few people who don't try to make numbers fit his preconceived ideas about how things should work or sell you a newsletter of stock picks. Truly impartial, truly geeky, and entertaining too.

Plus, he admits when he's wrong, exhaustively shows how and why he blew a prediction, and can laugh at himself.

-W

PilotsWife

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Re: Seattle Real Estate Market
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2014, 11:21:50 PM »
There is a whole blog devoted to this topic.  Hundreds of posts, with graphs and everything.

http://seattlebubble.com/blog/

Looking at the URL, I sense no bias whatsoever.  ;)

I see the domain was registered in 06.. I wonder what the 09-12 posts were like?  (I.e. did they advocate for a good time to buy?  When did they switch back to saying it was a new bubble?)

I wouldn't personally buy in Seattle, because I buy for cash flow, and there's not much to be found there, but the doom and gloom ZeroHedge type sites don't have a lot of sway with me, no matter how many charts and graphs they post.

According to a current post, he started the blog in 05 & was calling it a bubble at that point. Tim bought a house in 2011 and claimed that the market hadn't yet bottomed out (which was accurate in hindsight). Now he's posting saying that the market is getting bubble-ish. I've followed his blog for a while & I really enjoy it.