Real estate is known to be very cyclical in Washington state. Most years we will see an increase in sales around March and a slowing of sales activity in October as the winter months and holidays approach. This graph show the sales volume in Stanwood, WA for the past ten years. The market was at its lowest volume in January 2009, where we can see the beginning of the new long term cycle. Along with seasonal cycles, real estate tends to be in seven year cycles. As we are now approaching 2016, I predict this new year will be a prosporous one. If you are looking to sell a home, I suggest selling this year. If you are looking to buy at as an investor, you may want to consider holding off for a couple of years. The amount of homes will lower significantly once the downturn comes as already most sellers are struggling to sell for anything close to what they paid for the home. If you are looking to buy a long term home, you may want to consider buying  before the market turns as your options will be very limited. As the Federal Funds rate is expected to be rising soon, taking advantage of the low interest rates under 4% now could offer significant savings in the long run. Happy Holidays and give me a call this year if you are looking to move! 🙂 425-765-4432