Seattle Real Estate:

It’s a sign of the times that this question has been coming up a lot lately. Before the market took its current turn, bank owned transactions were pretty uncommon and short sales where downright rare.
Bank Owned Commissions Work Like Any Other Sale

Learn more about bank owned homes in the Seattle area - read articles, search [...]

We recently had a request for information on what’s happening with the real estate market in Bellevue and Issaquah. The following figures are all for single family homes - no condos, land, or multi-family.

You’ll see that the charts call out both average (avg) and median (med) numbers. Each tell a different story and are useful to look at the market from different angles.

The last month displayed is May 2009. I find that it pays to wait a few days into the following month before compiling stats. It can take a few days for all of the sales to be updated in the MLS.

Imagine you own a home, you’re upside down and falling behind. Maybe you have to move for work or family, maybe you lost your job…maybe your trouble is more obscure. In any case, you’re in a pickle.

Think You Might Need
To Do A Short Sale?

*Name:

*Email:

Phone:

Tell Us About Your Situation:

*required

Then imagine you’re approached by a [...]

If you live in Washington State and are in danger of losing your home, there’s a new resource that may be able to help you.

Having Trouble and Need Help Figuring Out What To Do?

*Name:

*Email:

Phone:

Tell Us About Your Situation:

*required

Project Launched to Provide Free Legal Assistance to Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
WSBA Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project [...]

In the same week that a potential client asked us if we charged any fees on top of our commission, I read the following:
“Although questions about their legality remain, a growing number of real estate brokerages are charging consumers flat fees on top of their traditional percentage-based commissions.”
We can add this one to the list of [...]

There have been a couple of interesting news items over the past week relating to short sales.

Think You Might Need
To Do A Short Sale?

*Name:

*Email:

Phone:

Tell Us About Your Situation:

*required

The first item was a statement issued by Washington Realtors Attorney Annie Fitzsimmons. She states,
A new trend is developing in which short sale lenders are establishing policy [...]

As I watch the end of year numbers roll in perusing the national and local news, as well as blog posts; I am reminded of the following piece of wit from my dear Mr. Clemens:
“Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli [...]

Will I get my money back if I remodel my kitchen?  What about adding windows? 
We hear these kind of questions all the time from past clients.  We generally recommend that folks never undertake an expensive remodel just for the sake of resale value.  If you’re contemplating a upgrade that you’ll get the use and enjoyment [...]

The competition out there for home sellers is tough in some areas.  Compound the large inventory with tougher mortgage guidelines and that means longer market times…and, in many cases, lower sales prices.  When the going gets tough, the sellers (and their agents) need to get creative.
One selling technique that might help move a potential buyer [...]