Headlines 05.08.2012
Buying a home may never get any cheaper than this. Several housing experts are predicting that this year will be the last chance for bargain hunters to cash in on the best deals of the weak housing market. With home…
MLS Market Update 05.03.2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2012 Western Washington housing market “energized” and showing signs of “definite turnaround” KIRKLAND, Wash. (May 3, 2012) – Northwest Multiple Listing Service brokers reported double-digit gains in both pending and closed sales during April compared…
New Short Sale Rules in Washington State
A new law was recently created in Olympia and revises existing law with regard to short sales for owner-occupied properties. House Bill 2614 goes into effect June 7, 2012. In part, the law provides: A) “Upon its first written notice”…
Headlines 05.01.2012
A new development is catching home buyers off guard as the spring sales season gets under way: Bidding wars are back. Stunned Home Buyers Find the Bidding Wars Are Back ~ Wall Street Journal Housing Declared Bottoming in U.S. After…
Markets to Hit Bottom by Late 2012
According to Zillow, our home-grown real estate tech company, the bottom is here for many real estate markets and just around the corner for the rest of the country. Zillow’s first quarter Real Estate Market Reports, which came out today,…
Headlines 04.24.2012
Reduced prices, record-low mortgage rates, higher rents and an improving job market appear to be emboldening many would-be buyers. Open houses are drawing crowds. A wave of foreclosures is leading investors to grab bargain-priced homes. ~AP Here are some of…
Interest rates 1971 to present
Having grown up in a real estate family and hearing about transactions being put together in all types of markets I find the history of interest rates fascinating. I especially have always found it particularly interesting (or amusing) to hear complaints of rising…
Landlord Resources
I am regularly asked by landlords where to turn for answers. Whether you are a landlord by choice or necessity I highly recommend that you join the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound. They are a great resource for those…
Bank of America Streamlines Short Sales
Recently my Buyer clients had an offer accepted on a short sale. The attorney facilitator is charging a 1.5% fee to the Buyer. I have seen many short sales and worked with many negotiators/facilitators and I was very surprised by the high fee. An extra…
Headlines 04.10.2012
It’s slim pickings for buyers in these 10 housing markets, where resurgent demand is beginning to outstrip supply. In these areas (including Seattle), the economy has started to pick up, but sellers haven’t gotten off the fence because prices are…
MLS Market Update 04.05.2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 5, 2012 “Buyer Ready” Home Shoppers Have Edge as Brokers Report Rise in Multiple Offers KIRKLAND, Wash. (April 5, 2012) –The housing market in the Puget Sound region is pointing toward a sustainable recovery, according to…
Sewage Treatment Capacity Charge
If you are buying a home that was built in the last 15 years you may have an additional cost to be aware of. The ‘Sewage Treatment Capacity Charge’ is applied to new construction homes in many counties. Homes in…
Headlines 04.03.2012
Improving economic conditions have put the U.S. housing market on the cusp of a slow recovery, according to the latest report from mortgage giant Freddie Mac (FMCC). Declining unemployment, rebounding home prices and a growing rental-construction sector will help stabilize…
Buyer rebate from agent
I am asked more and more often if a real estate Broker can pay a rebate to a Buyer after closing. According to license law a rebate is legal. However, if the Buyer is getting a mortgage it must be approved…
What is a 1031 exchange?
‘Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchange’ is a part of the Residential Purchase and Sale Agreement. What is it addressing? In the Northwest Multiple Listing Purchase & Sale Agreement it is simply an agreement between Buyer & Seller to cooperate in signing the…
