By James Dainard

In a report released in January by Standard &Poor’s/Case-Schiller Home Price Index, the Seattle area is currently the fastest growing market in the country. Why? With an increase of buyers and those wanting to invest in a hot market, inventory in the region remains limited.

According to a February press release by the NWMLS, King, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties reported fewer pending sales for the month of January than the previous year and the total number of active listings for the end of the month were down almost 17.6 percent from the previous year. In the same NWMLS report, three Puget Sound counties (King, Kitsap, and Snohomish) reported fewer pending sales than there were a year ago. More specifically, in King County closings dropped 18.5 percent from the previous year and pending sales were down 7.5 percent.

Despite there being fewer pending sales due to lower inventory, homeowners are finding that in this seller’s market their homes are receiving multiple offers after being listed. This is especially true in areas that are close to job centers and those that tend to have more affordable and mid-price ranges for housing.

What does this mean for those who want to invest in 2018? While you may need to be patient for the right deal to come along, there are still great opportunities to flip and sell, and working with a Heaton Dainard agent is the first step to take toward investing. Deciding where you want to invest and how much funding you need are the next steps, and we’re here to help.

Heaton Dainard’s experienced brokers can guide you through the buying and selling process and we work to provide our clients with the most lucrative opportunities for investing in property. Interested in learning more? We offer a free Investor 101 class which provides those interested, with a comprehensive overview of real estate investing.

During this class, we walk through real deals and provide expert insight and “how to” for investing in flips and cash flow properties. During this time you have the opportunity to meet our team of agents and discuss what type of properties and investments you are looking for as well as learn more about our unique company process. For more information, visit the Investor’s Corner section of our website.

About the Author…

James Dainard is Co-Founder and Managing Principal at Heaton Dainard. As a real estate investor, he is responsible for the development and execution of corporate strategies, marketing, and property acquisitions at Heaton Dainard Real Estate. James has been actively investing in multifamily and single family units in the Puget Sound region for over ten years and leads a dynamic team that exceeded sales volumes in 2017 of over $200 million with over 380 closed transactions. His business acumen adds value to Heaton Dainard by providing investors with inventory and multiple exit strategies. James graduated from University of Washington’s Foster School of Business with a focus in finance and marketing and has been recognized as Co-Founder of one of Washington’s Fastest Growing Private Companies in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, as well as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing companies in America 2015 and 2016. He was also chosen as a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree for 2017.

“REAPS is the oldest – and largest - Professional Association for the real estate investor this side of the Mississippi. We provide education and networking resources for real estate investors, those who want to be investors and anyone who provides value to our members. Our goals are to motivate and support our members and guests through education, discussion, legislative action and networking. We host over 40 live events a year around Puget Sound and they are all open to the public. If you've never attended one of our meetings, just email our office at [email protected] and be our guest for free!"