Blog | My Blog - Brian Mack

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What Actually Changed With Buyer’s Agents (and Why You Need a Signed Agreement Now)

If you bought or sold a home before 2024, the way buyer’s agents get paid — and how that gets disclosed — has changed since then, and a lot of buyers in our market still don’t fully know how. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, signed buyer representation agreements are now required before an agent can […]
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The Hidden Costs of Older Puget Sound Homes Nobody Warns You About

Nationally, 42% of homeowners who regret their purchase point to maintenance and hidden costs being worse than they expected, and 35% get hit with a surprise expense averaging over $5,000. Those numbers are generic — they cover every kind of home in every kind of climate. Older Puget Sound housing stock has its own specific […]
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Should You Waive the Inspection Contingency? What the Data Actually Says

In a competitive market, “waive the inspection” gets repeated as the move — the thing serious buyers do to win. It’s advice that sounds strategic. The data tells a more complicated story, and it’s worth seeing before you decide to skip an inspection on what’s probably the biggest purchase of your life. What actually moves […]
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How Escalation Clauses Actually Work (and What ‘Strongest Offer’ Really Means)

If you’ve written an offer in King, Snohomish, or Pierce County recently — or you’re about to — there’s a good chance escalation clauses will come up. They’re standard practice in our market, but most buyers have never actually seen one before their agent hands them a contract, and the mechanics can feel confusing at […]