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Hi, I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, and welcome to my April 2026 Market Update! Just when it seemed like the world might finally be settling down—even for a moment—the local, national, and global craziness ramped up again. To the long list of crazy news we can now add a war in the Middle East, rising energy costs, a slumping stock market, and elevated interest rates. Great! So how does all of this affect our real estate market—and specifically your ability to buy or sell a home? Well, as it turns out, buyers may be settling in—even if the world around them isn’t. If you take a look at this chart, you’ll see something pretty surprising. Pending sales—homes that have received an offer and are waiting to close— depicted here in orange, rose sharply in March and are now higher than at any point last year, including the usual peak months in the second quarter. They’re up 47% from last month and about 5.5% higher than this time last year.  Inventory levels have also increased by roughly 50% year over year. And with such a large increase in inventory you’d expect to see an easing in home prices, but that hasn’t happened. Median sales prices, depicted here in dark blue, are very much on the rise. And medians days on market dropped from 10 days last month to 7 day this month. Now, all of this follows the exact market pattern that we’ve seen for over 15 years now. And again, this is all despite all the worrying headlines.  So what’s going on here? My hypothesis is that the usual surge of buyers who entered the market at the beginning of the year ran straight into the lowest inventory levels of the year. As a result, many of them found themselves in multiple-offer situations, losing out on one home after another. So far, this follows the annual pattern to a T. But you see, by the time the bad news hit, the buyers’ mindset had already shifted toward making a purchase, and so they persevered despite all the negative headlines. At some point, their need for a good home simply outweighed their fear. And that may be the most interesting part of what we’re seeing right now. Because not that long ago, buyers would have been spooked by far less dramatic events, often bringing market activity to a halt. Today, something different seems to be happening. The need for a good home appears to be outweighing the uncertainty created by all the unsettling news. You see, life keeps moving forward—families grow, jobs change, and plans don’t always wait for perfect conditions. By the way, if you want to take a closer look at this data and the full analysis, you can find it in my April newsletter, available online and for download, for free, at Weisbarth.com/newsletter—that’s Weisbarth.com/newsletter . So the question becomes: is this just a moment, or is this becoming the new normal? Well, time will tell whether this trend continues, but we should have a clearer picture over the next month or so as the spring market unfolds. In the meantime, one thing is becoming clear: even in the face of uncertainty, buyers are not standing still. In many cases, they’re moving forward anyway, because they’ve realized the cost of waiting has become greater than the cost of acting. So if you’re thinking about buying or selling this year—or if you know someone who is—this is actually very good news. This spring is shaping up to be very much in line with the normal trends that we’ve seen for many, many years. And the important part is that early in the cycle is often when the best opportunities appear. My team and I use real data, proven systems, and on-the-ground experience to help our clients position themselves ahead of the market, not chase it. And remember, when you work with us, you’re also helping support Akin, an amazing nonprofit that helps kids and families in need thrive. Your business and referrals make a real difference in the community, and we’re incredibly proud to be part of that mission. For a no-obligation consultation—or if you just want to explore your options or bounce around some ideas—reach out by email, text, or, my favorite, a good old-fashioned phone call at 206-779-9808. That’s 206-779-9808. Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more updates, and be sure to check out the full April newsletter at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates—and I’ll see you next month.

Hi, I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, and welcome to my March 2026 Market Update! Last month I wrote that the real estate market looked like it was about to repeat its familiar annual cycle. At the time, the signals were still early. A few homes were selling quickly, buyer activity seemed to be picking up, and both new listings and pending sales were starting to rise. Now that we have the February data, those early signals look much more convincing . If you look at this chart, you can see the pattern pretty clearly. After the typical winter slowdown, both new listings  and pending sales  started rising again early this year — just as they’ve done in the past several years. In other words, the spring market appears to be unfolding almost exactly on schedule . And the market is moving quickly.  One of the clearest signals is days on market , which dropped sharply from 39 days in January to just 11 days in February . That’s a strong sign that buyers are actively competing for the homes that are coming onto the market. So at least for now, the market is following the same script we’ve been watching for the past several years. By the way, if you want to look at this chart and explore the data at your own pace, you’ll find everything in my March newsletter , available online and for download, for free, at Weisbarth.com/newsletter  — that’s Weisbarth.com/newsletter . Now, of course, February’s numbers only tell part of the story. They reflect activity that took place before the latest round of global disruptions . The war that began at the end of February, the resulting spike in oil prices, volatility in the stock market, and a noticeable slowdown in hiring have all happened too recently to show up in the housing data yet. Mortgage interest rates also briefly dipped just under the 6% mark  before jumping up considerably, as financial markets reacted to the new uncertainty. Whether those developments affect buyers’ and sellers’ behavior is something we simply don’t know yet. But here’s what we do  know. Over the past several years, the housing market has proven to be surprisingly resilient . Even through inflation spikes, high interest rates, political turmoil, and global conflicts, the seasonal rhythm of the market has continued to assert itself. And that’s why the February data is important. It confirms what we suspected last month — the familiar cycle is underway again . The big question now, is whether the latest economic and geopolitical shocks will interrupt that cycle… or whether the market will continue along the same path it has followed in recent years. We should start getting answers to that question as the spring market unfolds over the next couple of months . So if you’re thinking about buying or selling this year, now is a good time to start planning. Early in the cycle is often when the best opportunities appear — before competition intensifies and before the headlines catch up. My team and I use real data, proven systems, and on-the-ground experience  to help our clients position themselves ahead of the market, not chase it. And remember — when you work with us, you’re also helping support Akin , an amazing nonprofit helping kids and families in need thrive. Your business and referrals make a real difference in our community, and we’re incredibly proud to be part of that mission. So if you’d like to talk strategy — or if you know someone who could use some guidance — reach out by email, text, or (my favorite) a good old-fashioned phone call at 206-779-9808 . That’s 206-779-9808 . Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow  for more updates — and be sure to check out the full March newsletter at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates — and I’ll see you next month.

Hi, I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates, and welcome to my February 2026 Market Update! It’s starting to feel like we’ve been here before. In fact… it’s starting to look a lot like the annual real estate cycle is about to repeat itself— déjà vu all over again . And honestly, what’s remarkable isn’t that this cycle exists. It’s that it keeps showing up no matter what we throw at it . Over the last few years, we’ve watched the market move through inflation, high interest rates, tech layoffs, political turmoil, tariffs, and global conflicts—and yet, somehow, the underlying rhythm just keeps chugging along. And let’s be clear—there has been no shortage  of reasons for buyers and sellers to hesitate lately.Locally, tech layoffs have rattled confidence.Nationally, there’s still confusion about the economy and this very real K-shaped recovery.Inflation hasn’t fully cooled. Tariffs have pushed up everyday costs. And global uncertainty hasn’t exactly taken a vacation. In theory, all of that should derail market behavior. But once again… it hasn’t. Here’s what we’re seeing as the year gets underway. The beginning of the year continues to act like a reset button . Average mortgage interest rates are holding just over the 6% mark—not low by historical standards, but stable enough  for buyers to re-engage. And while some of the early signals are still anecdotal, they’re remarkably consistent. Homes that are just coming on the market are selling within days—often with multiple offers and prices pushed well above asking. Even the condo market, which was pretty quiet for much of last year, is starting to show signs of life—though buyers there are still a bit more cautious. Now, from a data perspective, it’s really important to focus on the right indicators  this time of year. Median prices and closed sales mostly reflect activity from December—so they’re a bit backward-looking right now.  What really matters is what’s happening today . And that shows up in new listings and pending sales . And here’s where things get interesting. New listings are up 21.7% , and pending sales are up 11.2% . That tells us something important: sellers are stepping back in—and buyers are right there with them . This looks like the early release of both pent-up supply  and pent-up demand —two trends I’ve talked about many times before. It’s still early, and we don’t know how long this momentum will last or how strong it will become. But the signals are real—and they’re worth paying attention to. By the way, if you want to look at the data, charts, and full analysis at your own pace, you’ll find everything in my February newsletter , available online and for download, for free, at Weisbarth.com/newsletter —that’s Weisbarth.com/newsletter . So what’s the takeaway? Barring any major new disruptions—and yes, I’m knocking on wood— 2026 could shape up to be a strong year for real estate in our area . Not because conditions are perfect, but because the familiar cycle appears to be reasserting itself once again. And early-cycle moments like this?That’s when good planning matters most . If you’re thinking about buying or selling this year—or even just trying to figure out when  to make a move—now is the right time to start the conversation. My team and I use real data, proven systems, and on-the-ground experience to help our clients position themselves ahead of the market , not chasing it after the fact. And remember—when you work with us, you’re also supporting Akin , an amazing nonprofit that helps kids and families in need thrive. Your business and referrals make a real difference in our community, and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. So if you’d like to talk strategy—or if you know someone who could use some guidance—reach out by email, text, or (my favorite) a good old-fashioned phone call at 206-779-9808 . That’s 206-779-9808 . Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow for more updates—and be sure to check out the full February newsletter at Weisbarth.com/newsletter . I’m Doron Weisbarth with Weisbarth & Associates—happy Valentines Day, happy Lunar New Year, Ramadan Mubarak and Go Hawks! I’ll see you next month.