Posts Tagged ‘Investment’

After several years of Great Recession uncertainty, it’s becoming more apparent confidence, which fuels the market, is on the rebound. To understand what this may mean for our housing market, let’s look at historic trends. After all, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Recession 1981 – 1982 (1 year 4 months) Recovery [...]

It’s often said homeownership is the American dream and the safest place to invest one’s earnings. No doubt, owning real estate for most is the single greatest purchase endeavor they’ll undertake in their lifetime.   Whether real estate is a good investment depends primarily on one variable factor; time. Many homeowners were injured by the [...]

Tax Benefits on a Refinance – Did you refinance last year? Be sure to make the most of it: http://www.smartmoney.com/taxes/income/the-tax-benefits-of-refinancing-1329845305909/?link=SM_hp_featStory FHA Loan Expense Increase – It’s official, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which insures loans, will be increasing costs by an estimated 57 percent: http://justrealseattle.com/2012/02/fha-premium-increase/ Obama Cuts Costs for Some Loans – For those considering [...]

Our region’s year over year real estate sales have increased by 36.2 percent, according to Kirkland-based Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). One of the sub-markets with vigorous activity is North Seattle. The number of homes currently in escrow nearly matches

Break out your sweaters and turn up the thermostat, winter is on its way back. As a reminder, be sure to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 6.Here are ten tips to help you prepare your home for winter:1) Furnace Inspection Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts. [...]

We recently received numerous questions from clients regarding postcard information the county tax assessor’s office sends to local homeowners around this time each year. The county’s system for assessing values is quite different than actual market value. Let’s start by ruling out what does not determine a home’s fair market value:

Home mortgage interest rates have hit record lows this year. A one point (1%) reduction in mortgage interest rate can shave 10 percent off a home’s cost. The following two example scenarios show approximately the same monthly payment but with a $50,000 difference in buying power: 4.75% rate for $500,000 value = $2,600 monthly payment [...]

Going green isn’t just the fashionable catch phrase of the early 21st Century, conservation is an essential component of our long term sustainability. Heating and cooling a home today is expensive and has far-reaching environmental consequences. “Energy efficiency is not on the wish list for home buyers in 2011 – it’s on the ‘must’ list,” [...]

In the spirit of freedom this July, the following are a few financing options, requiring little (or no) money down as well as one that sidesteps captial gains: House Key Plus – House Key is a program provided by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. The commission’s purpose is to help low-to-moderate income individuals and [...]

As the third wealthiest human being on the planet, Warren Buffett knows a thing or two about making money. With all the negativity about the market the past few years, Buffett is steadfast in his commitment to real estate as a sound financial investment.  Here’s what he says about owning property today:   1) The basic [...]