Sue Bethke - Windermere Real Estate

10/28/2026

What if your dream home had less to do with finding the perfect yard and more to do with the community right outside your front door? Across the country, master planned neighborhoods are putting greater emphasis on walkability, shared green spaces, local businesses, and opportunities for neighbors to connect. We’re seeing this trend here on the Eastside, too, with Issaquah’s Talus community welcoming neighborhood gathering spots like Trailhead Taps & Bottles and Glossy Beans Cafe. While this style of living may mean trading a larger yard for a smaller home or shared spaces, it reflects a growing interest in connection, convenience, and a stronger sense of belonging. After all, finding the right home is about more than what’s inside your front door. It’s also about the people waiting to make those connections.

Across the country, developers of master-planned communities are betting that buyers want more than square footage. As home prices and borrowing costs have climbed, the pitch has shifted from big houses and big yards to connection, walkability and a feeling of belonging. Master-planned communities a...

10/26/2026

A Magnolia home with sweeping Puget Sound views, iconic midcentury character, and a fellow Windermere agent on the other side of the deal? Now that’s a fun one to bring across the finish line!

I’m thrilled to have represented the buyers in the purchase of this incredible 1960s home, where walls of windows frame the Sound and Olympic Mountains, multiple decks invite indoor outdoor living, and original midcentury details give the home so much personality.

And the extra fun detail? The seller was represented by fellow Windermere agent Heidi Ward! It’s always special when colleagues on opposite sides of a transaction can bring their experience, communication, and collaborative spirit together to help make a deal happen.

Congratulations to my buyers on securing this one of a kind Magnolia home. I can’t wait to see what they do with it!

$2,300,000 | 5 BD | 3.5 BA | 3,010 SF
📍 2583 Magnolia Blvd W, Seattle

10/24/2026

Halloween is just around the corner, and one of my favorite things about the season is welcoming the community festivity to my front porch! 🎃 🏡 These are my favorite tactics. My favorite starting point is putting together a fun display of pumpkins in different colors and sizes. Then add a fall wreath to the front door, and set up a candy station that makes handing out treats easy. For a fun project with friends or kids, try making your own friendly ghosts to hang around the entryway. Finally, turn on your porch lights and illuminate the walkway so little visitors can find their way safely to your door. Whether you prefer classic fall decor or a little spooky charm, your front porch is the perfect place to get into the Halloween spirit!
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10/22/2026

What if home could feel like your own little retreat without giving up the convenience of being close to everything?

Tucked away on a private lane in Kirkland’s sought after Boyd Farm neighborhood, this beautifully reimagined home offers the best of both worlds.

Picture slow mornings in the garden, summer dinners on the oversized deck, and afternoons spent enjoying your own expansive backyard. Inside, 2,500 square feet of thoughtfully refreshed living space offers a bright, updated kitchen, a welcoming living room with floor to ceiling windows and a wood burning fireplace, plus a spacious lower level with room for movie nights, working from home, hobbies, or overnight guests.

An added bonus: the seller is offering a $25,000 buyer incentive toward a rate buydown, closing costs, or prepaid expenses.

📍 10026 NE 140th St, Kirkland
💰 $1,250,000 | 4 BD | 3 BA | 2,500 SF

Why wait for someday when your next chapter could start here?

10/21/2026

Hey Seattle! Our city has been ranked the fourth best city in the world, behind New York, London, and Paris, according to the 2026 Oxford Economics Global Cities Index. From our diverse economy and vibrant arts scene to the natural beauty of Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and Mount Rainier, we all know there’s so much that makes this region special. And as a real estate agent, I love that what makes Seattle stand out goes beyond the homes themselves. It’s the communities, culture, access to the outdoors, and lifestyle that make this such a wonderful place to call home. Read the full article to see what helped Seattle earn its spot in the global top five!

Seattle has been named one of the best cities in the world, placing fourth behind New York, London, and Paris. The ranking comes from the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index for 2026, which scores 1,000 cities across five categories—economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and gover...

10/15/2026

Fall is bringing a few changes to the Western Washington housing market, and it’s a good time to check in on the bigger picture. 🍂 With inventory building, sales activity cooling, and buyers and sellers adjusting to a different pace, there’s plenty worth watching as we head into the final stretch of the year. Windermere Principal Economist Jeff Tucker breaks it all down in this month’s *Local Look*. Take a few minutes to watch and see what’s happening across the region!

10/12/2026

🎃 PUMPKINS TO BARS: YOUR GUIDE TO SPOOKY SEASON

Halloween around the Seattle area has something for everyone. Whether your ideal October outing involves picking the perfect pumpkin, getting lost in a corn maze, exploring a haunted trail or ending the night with a spooky cocktail, here are a few local favorites to add to your fall calendar:

🎃 LITTLE SPOOKS | JB Pumpkin Patch, Redmond
📍 14063 NE 145th St
Pumpkins, sunflower fields and the Puzzle Patch make this a great Eastside fall outing.

🍂 FAMILY FRIGHTS | Thomas Family Farm, Snohomish
📍 9010 Marsh Rd
Pumpkins, a 2+ mile corn maze, corn train, gem mining and more during the day. Come back after dark for Nightmare on 9, Rippers Hollow, Zombie Paintball and the flashlight corn maze.

👻 FREE & FESTIVE | Comet Lodge Haunted Trail, Seattle
📍 5923 21st Ave S
📅 Oct. 16–17, 23–24 & 30–31 | 6–9 PM
FREE! This family-friendly haunted trail features a Michael Jackson “Thriller” theme, zombies, a corn maze, haunted pumpkin patch and spooky swamp.

🕷️ SERIOUS SCARES | Maris Farms, Buckley
📍 25001 Sumner Buckley Hwy
A 5-acre corn maze, pumpkin patch and plenty of fall activities by day. Feeling brave? The Haunted Woods brings the serious scares after dark.

🍸 AFTER DARK | Little Haunted Lobby Bar at The Edgewater, Seattle
📅 Oct. 1–Nov. 1 | Daily, 5–11 PM
Seasonal cocktails, spooky bites and waterfront views make this one for the adults.

From pumpkins to haunted trails to cocktails, there’s a little something for every kind of Halloween fan. 👻

So… how spooky are you? Save this post and pick your October adventure!

10/10/2026

What does a buyer’s market look like on the Eastside? September’s numbers offer a helpful snapshot. The median sold price was $1,425,000, and 4.1 months of inventory gave buyers more room to compare properties and negotiate. While 28% of homes sold below asking, another 12% sold at asking and 11% sold above asking. Every property and neighborhood is different, so understanding the local details can make all the difference. 🏡 Let’s connect if a move is on your radar.

10/09/2026

Seattle’s September numbers show that a more balanced market can still move at a healthy pace. 🍂 The median sold price was $960,000, while 63% of homes sold within 30 days. Nearly a quarter of homes, 24%, sold above asking, and another 20% sold at asking. With 3.0 months of available inventory, outcomes can vary significantly by property and neighborhood. If you’re curious about what these trends mean for your plans, I’d be happy to help you take a closer look.

10/07/2026

Stunning water views home PENDING in Magnolia! 🌊

After several months of searching for the right home in Magnolia, my buyers finally found the one that made them stop and say, “This is it.”

With jaw dropping views of Puget Sound, the Islands, and Olympic Mountains, incredible natural light, multiple decks, and some seriously cool mid century character, this Magnolia Boulevard home had the kind of potential they had been waiting for.

Representing buyers is about more than finding a house that checks the boxes. It is about listening, watching the market, and being ready to act when the right opportunity finally comes along.

5 BD | 3 BA | 3,010 SF