Blame my Mother-in-Law

My Mother-in-Law moved out of her long-time Mercer Island house in 1999 because it was way too big for her lonesome to continue to keep up with (lots of square feet inside & out). She wanted something smaller & more manageable.

After a few months she found a condo in Kirkland and lived there for a few long years. She was in a downstairs unit and she had noisy upstairs neighbors. The condo unit was supposed to be insulated to the point where the neighbors weren't supposed to hear one-another, either side-to-side or up-and-down, but they could. Along with other condo association issues that she found objectionable she sold in 2004. For the last couple of years she has been temporarily living in her son's rental house in Kirkland while she has been seeking another suitable permanent residence.

She's looked here, she's looked there, and she's been to several open houses. She has been to dozens of good places that she'll find fault with, even after a first favorable impression. And she burns through her realtor's as well - is presently on her 3rd or 4th. She really likes the high rise condos in Bellevue (i.e. Lincoln Tower), and even has made an offer on a couple only to withdraw them soon after because of cold feet; and then only to see prices continue to appreciate outta sight.

Now her son is in a position that he must sell the rental house in the near term; but not to Mom, and not to purposefully force her hand, but that's exactly what's going to happen.

My theory then is that once she makes the ultimate decision to actually buy a place, TA DA (!) the domino effect will steamroll through the real estate market. She buys -the seller has cash, they buy - that seller has cash, they buy, and so on... and the whole economy will stabilize and get back on track.

But until my M-I-L opens her purse things will continue to be as volatile as ever.