I am happy to bring you the Gardner Report! I feel this is good, comprehensive information that is important no matter what your real estate status is � whether you are a buyer, seller or current homeowner, this information is a great resource for understanding today�s real estate market. I invite you to contact me at 425-417-3566 as I would love to answer any questions you might have in regard to this report or real estate in general!

Windermere Real Estate is delighted to be partnered with Gardner Economics to provide analysis and commentary on the Western Washington Real Estate market. You may wonder why Windermere would publish a report that has negative information. It is a historical truth that transparency equals honesty. Consumers gravitate toward companies who stand for the truth regardless of its tenor.

"For the past few quarters I have been suggesting that we have started to see a bottom forming in our market. Months of inventory, when based on pending sales, is hovering around the 6-month mark is a sign of a balanced market. The last time that we were at these levels was the spring of 2007.

These are encouraging signs and further evidence that a real estate base is being created in our region. The Homebuyer Tax Credit has proven to be an effective tool and one that I hope will be extended through the summer of 2010, opened up to all buyers, and that income limits are increased. Such a move has garnered considerable support in Congress and, in as much as I am mindful that any proposal does carry a significant financial cost, I am extremely hopeful that the current Administration and Congress will fashion appropriate and effective home buyer incentives to stimulate new demand.

Looking at the effectiveness of the tax credit to date I note that, through August of this year, the IRS has estimated that about 1.4M homebuyers had claimed this credit. The National Association of Realtors has also suggested that this stimulus was instrumental in getting 355,000 homebuyers off the fence.

As I have stated, the cost of additional stimulus is substantial and current estimates suggest that proposed extension and expansion may cost upward of $16.7 billion over the next five years. However, this figure is still less than 3 percent of the overall stimulus package, and is well worth it given that it has already been proven successful." -Matt Gardner.

CLICK HERE to read the report in its entirety and to see the corresponding charts and graphs.