So you want to buy a home and you are a first-time homebuyer? You have heard homes are selling like hotcakes and you want to get in on the action. You also need a place to live and you have decided you would rather pay money to yourself rather than to a landlord. What is next? For most people with an interest in buying a home, the journey begins by searching local listings on sites such as Continue Reading
Happy Independence Day
In 1776, it was a brave act to publish a declaration of independence from Great Britain. After all, the English dominated the world at the time and such a declaration could only be viewed as an act of treason punishable by death. But they did it and they fought and died making their declaration a reality. Like the benefits a country can experience with self-government, Continue Reading
Real Estate Market May 2020
Brisk housing activity continued in May despite the coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn. Sales were helped by having more virtual tours to view homes, drone photos and interactive floor plans among others features. Also, the protocols set by the government and followed by the agents boosted client confidence in touring. King County residential properties experienced a Continue Reading
Real Estate Market April 2020
The normally active spring market is slower than normal due to Covid-19. However, the lack of new listings of single family homes pushed prices up in some areas, especially where attractive and well located houses were listed. Our experience has confirmed that with multiple offers received on our latest listings. The Housing Market during Covid-19 The inventory of residential and condo Continue Reading
Buying a Home vs Renting? Home Buying Tips and Tricks
Charles Holmes talks here about the advantages of Buying a Home over Renting. In addition, for first time buyers, he gives some tips that will help to find your dream home. Finally, he talks about the characteristics you need to pay attention to when looking for properties by yourself. This is part of last week's video presentation made by Charles Holmes. You can listen to the full video here. Continue Reading
Opportunity Zones
This is an interview with Charles Holmes about Opportunity Zones, which came up in a discussion with a client. We think this information might be useful for you. What is an “Opportunity Zone”? An Opportunity Zone is an area designated by the federal government tax code for development. So it's an area that's more in need like an impoverished area. If you invest money in that Opportunity Zone you Continue Reading
Real Estate Market Report 1st quarter 2019
Spring market marked by Lower Mortgage Interest Rates and New Listings coming to the market It's 2019 and the market is hopping. Around March it stalled, started sliding badly in May, and was all but dead by November. There was virtually no sign of life in February when it was snowing and then BAM! Spring sprung and so did the market. Although I had some residential work near Continue Reading
Market Slowdown
Whoa Nellie! Market Slowdown is here. I got a message from Zillow on Monday letting me know someone was interested in talking to me about a condo we had for lease. This was the second condo a client of ours was leasing; it had failed to sell in a reasonable amount of time. In both cases, the owners were concerned the unit would sit empty through the holidays and probably till next Continue Reading
Financing your new home or property
How to get a loan for your new home or property In today’s market, there are multiple options for financing your property purchase or investment project. Whether you’re planning on buying your first home, moving up to a hilltop mansion, or constructing your next multi-family complex, funding is one critical element of the process. The pendulum has swung far from the days of loose Continue Reading
How to Buy a House in the hot Seattle Market…or any market
Avoid being burned, battling for a bungalow in wild real estate wars. Take a deep breath and follow these four simple tips for buying a home in the hot Seattle Market...or any market. Be more competitive, without risking your nest egg. Shop In a lot of ways, buying a home is no different than buying a car, a television, or a banana for that matter. You can learn a lot just by spending time Continue Reading
