Affordability is expected to take a hit next year as home prices and interest rates continue to head up.
The upbeat real estate market news we received in 2013 presents some challenges for the year ahead. An influx of buyers last year helped strengthen housing appreciation, which in turn led to greatly improved consumer confidence. The result was 5.1 million home sales, the best year for real estate purchases since 2007.
But 2014 will be different, with sales volume gains expected to be small at best, because of rising interest rates and home prices., NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says. But there an upside, too: the continued growth in the economy, which , while modest, has stayed on track. The resulting addition of more then 2 million jobs each year should provide a boost to housing markets. On the commercial side, rising rent growth and declining vacancy rates bode well for the office, industrial, retail, and multifamily sectors.
Yun says lenders could promote stable markets next year as they look the purchase money mortgage loans as their next big money mortgage loans as their next big growth area to compensate for a shrinking body of business from refinances, which will drastically fall as interest rates rise.
By Robert Freeman Realtor January /February 2014 Issue
About Christa
Resume’
Christa Sasser
Distinctive Properties, Inc.
Obtained Real Estate License in August of 1979 and the Broker’s License in January of 1985.
• Broker / Owner of Distinctive Properties since 1994.
• Graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI)
• Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
• Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB)
• Accredited REO Agent (A*REO)
• Certified Sort Sale, Foreclosure, Recourse. (SFR)
Real Estate Activities:
Locally: Tri-City Association of Realtors.
• 1992 and 2001 Realtor of the Year.
• 1991 Elected to President of the Tri-City Association of Realtors.
• 1990 Served as Vice-President.
• 1989 Embraced the office of Secretary -Treasurer
• 1985 to 1994 Elected to the Board of Directors.
• 1989 to 1994 Earned a place on the Honor Society
• 2012 CRB (Certified Residential Broker) President for WA Chapter.
• Chaired: Member Services, Nominations, Awards, Long Range Planning, Budget and Finance, Communications, Education, Grievance. Co-Chaired: Most or all of the Committees. Served on: Activities, Budget & Finance, Long Range Planning, Member Services, Awards, Education, Nominating. Grievance, By-Laws. MLS Committee (Some more than one term, consecutively or at different times.)
Washington Association of Realtors
On the Board of Directors from 1989 to 2004 and 2010 -2012
• 2004 Recipient of the EDDY AWARD
• Chairperson & Vice Chair: MLS Forum. Education Forum. Served on:
• Operational Planning Committee, Nominations Committee, License Law Subcommittee, Strategic Planning, Communication, Education Forum, Education Steering, MLS Forum, Budget & Finance, Forms, Nominating, Several Core committees. Business Practices Core Committee. Business Practices Core Committee through 2009. Member of Legislative Steering Committee through 2012. Taxation. (Some more than one term, consecutively or at different times.)
• *2014- Received the Larry Miller Award for Excellence in Real Estate.
State of Washington:
1993 Appointed by the Governor to the Real Estate Commission.
• 1996-2003 Re-appointed to the Real Estate Commission for a 6-year term.
• 1997 Vice Chair of the Commission
• 1998 -2003 Chair of the Education Subcommittee
• 1999- 2003 Honorary Trustee for the Washington Center of Real Estate Research. WSU
• 2008-:Present School Administrator for Distinctive Real Estate School.
• 2008- Present Certified Real Estate Instructor
Community:
• VITA- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance for 10 years.
• Mid-Columbia Symphony Guild
• German Club.
• Pasco Police Auxiliary Volunteer 1969-1974
• President of the Pasco Police Auxiliary.
• Toastmasters
• Board Member, Canyon Lakes Homeowners Association
• Member of St. Joe's Parish Finance Committee
Real Estate Education:
• Graduate of the Real Estate Institute (GRI) 1984
• Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) 1994
• Certified Residential Broker (CRB) 2005
• Appraisal MAI Courses.
• Additional Courses successfully completed: Finance of Real Estate, Real Estate Law, Successful Practices, Real Estate Management Training, Investment Analysis, Advanced Investment Analysis, Relocation, Legal Aspect of New Construction, Hot@ Legal Issues, Negotiating, How to Deal with Builders, Real Estate Agents Rights & Responsibilities. GRI 400, Broker Management. Risk Reduction Institute Courses: Agent Guide to Agency, Avoiding Misrepresentation, Fair Housing in the 90's, Avoiding Anti-Trust Violations, Agency, Ethics, Does it Pencil? (Investment Analysis) Accredited REO classes. Sort Sale, Foreclosure classes. & more.
• Certified as an Instructor from the Department of Licensing in the following
fields:
o Use of computers and/or other technologies as applied to the practice of Real Estate.
o Real Estate Sales & Marketing. Real Estate Practices. Real Estate Law. Real Estate Fundamentals.
o Real Estate Closings Practices. Principles & Essentials. Legal Aspects. Ethics & Standards of Practices
o Current Trends & Issues. Cross Cultural Communication. Consumer Protection. Business Management.
o Brokerage Management and Advanced Management Practices.
