Buying
Appraisals – A Critical Part of the Transaction
With the tight market for buyers and the common practice of escalating up the offer price one savvy tactic for buyers is to offer, up front, to cover the difference if an appraisal should come low. Let me back up…
Why You Should Work with a Full Time Real Estate Agent
With the advent of the internet and different broker and brokerage business models, there are a number of ways you can buy or sell a home these days. The key is to find a solution that works best for…
Should You Save For A Larger Down Payment?
Some experts are advising that first time and move-up buyers wait until they save up 20% before they move forward with their decision to purchase a home. One of the main reasons they suggest waiting is that a buyer must purchase…
Real Estate Mythbusting: Fact or Fiction
There are many myths in the world of real estate. However, believing something is a fact rather than the myth it is could hurt you when you are trying to buy or sell. Below are some of the most common…
How Should I Prepare Myself to Buy a Home?
If it has been a few years since you purchased a home, things have changed a bit and it pays to be aware of these changes. Since the recession and the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, banks have become more stringent in…
Interest Rates and Buyer Buying Power
I have fielded calls from buyers who had wanted to buy in the last year but felt they were priced out of the market. After a break, they are back, wondering what their next move should be. They want to…
Seattle Rent Up 21.5% in 5 Years
If you’re feeling the pinch there is good reason- rent has increased in Seattle by 21.5% in the last 5 years. Seattlelite’s income has only increased 10.4% in the same amount of time. This increase has started to push renters…
Where Are Home Prices Headed??
Today, many real estate conversations center on housing prices and where they may be headed. That is why we like the Home Price Expectation Survey. Every quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a nationwide panel of over one hundred economists, real estate experts…
Easements Q&A
You might have heard of an easement before or have one on your property. Basically, an “easement†grants someone else perpetual access to your property or through it without transferring ownership. Easement language in a title report (the report that…
What is changing around you can affect your home value
Our world is constantly changing. One day traffic flows through our town one way and the next it can flow through different thoroughfares, depending on how our town managers plan out our transportation options. You may not think about this…