As you’re enjoying the long overdue summer sun, some of you may be wondering how has the real estate marketed faired during the major summer selling months? Put simply, the market held its ground this summer.  We’ve seen increases in sales volumes, decreases in inventory and steady prices.  While statistics accurate showing the relative number [...]

A bit of good news for our local real estate market was reported by the Seattle Times today… The number of closed sales in August increased by more than 35% from a year ago with 1,775 closed sales.  This is a great news as it shows a strong recovery from the post-tax credit lull we [...]

As rents rise and home prices stay flat more investors are taking the long term approach to real estate investment by choosing to rent out properties they acquire rather than selling them after a quick rehabilitation. This trend has been reported in the most recent Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance Housing Pulse Survey that shows first time [...]

Finally… the banks are getting a bit more realistic about how they deal with pre-foreclosure properties – more commonly known as ‘Short Sales’ – properties that are being sold for a price that is less than is needed to pay off the associated mortgages. According to RealtyTrac, the time it takes to sell a short [...]

Though it seems lavish, we’ve been hearing more and more of this trend of helping young graduates purchase their first home as a way of getting them started on the right foot – especially as houses and condos have become far more affordable due to price declines and exceptionally low interest rates. Often new graduates [...]

Often when I see these lists and slideshows, they really don’t hold up to the actual market because they’re trying to spin or sell something specific – most often it’s ultra-green building features, while other times it’s new home or even specific windows/doors or other features, however this one is probably the most accurate that [...]

Here are some great ideas for family friendly fun around Seattle this summer from one of our favorite websites: RedTri.com: 50 Things to Do With the Family in Seattle This Summer Need some more ideas to get you through the summer? Use this quick and easy list of 50 fun activities, events, and adventures that will [...]

Clearing out email this morning, and found this email sent to me by a friend… Billionaire  Warren Buffett  said  buying a  home  was the third-best investment he ever made, after the rings he bought for his first wife,  Susan Thompson , and, after her death, his second wife,  Astrid Menks. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-28/buffett-says-buying-his-home-for-31-500-was-third-best-investment-he-made.html A fun thought to [...]

Our first client appreciation event for 2011 will be the second annual, Shredding and Electronics Recycling event at our office in Kirkland on Saturday, April 30th from 10am to 2pm. Secure Document Shredding We’ll have a professional, commercial shredding service on site to securely shred and dispose of up to 10 boxes of your documents.  [...]

The last 3 months have seen a shift interest rates from impossibly low rates of 4.0% for a 30 year fixed mortgage to today’s rates that have been boucing between 4.75% and 5.0% since mid-December.     Looking forward, unfortunately we don’t think we’re going to see rates dip below 4.5% anytime in the foreseeable [...]