Category Archives: Seattle Real Estate

The Housing Market is Heating Up and Many Homebuyers are Clueless

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homesAccording to a study conducted by Zillow, when it comes to understanding mortgages, buyers answered basic questions about terms, lenders and financing wrong one third of the time. The study of over 1,000 prospective and current buyers, which was conducted in April found that 34% didn’t know the meaning of the term “annual percentage rate,” 31% of buyers didn’t think that they could get a mortgage for less than 5% down, and 1 in 4 were under the impression you should close with the lender who per-approves your mortgage. It’s important for buyers to shop around and compare rates  and reviews before finding the best loan for them. The results also showed that 34% of surveyors thought that lenders were required by law to charge the same fees to all clients for credit checks appraisals, etc, which is a false assumption. Fees will vary between bank to bank, and sometimes can be negotiated.

It can be difficult to choose which is the best deal for you, if you don’t understand what the various mortgage terms mean. The APR, or Annual Percentage Rate factors include fees, origination and underwriting fees, and other costs borrowers use to calculate the actual cost of loans. This lack of knowledge can really hurt your overall savings. Many buyers believe they need a down payment of 5% bare minimum, but loans given by the Federal Housing Administration can actually only require 3.5%. Many buyers also begin shopping around with financing in place so they’re able to move quickly on a home they really want, and according to the study, 26% of buyers believe once they’re pre-approved, they must honor that loan in closing, but that is far from the truth; there is really no obligation. If buyers see better loan terms available, they should take them! For more information for buyers and sellers, visit CNN Money.

Advice for Buyers, Sellers, and Owners in Today’s Marketplace

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We have established that housing is beginning to get back on track, so what are the best moves to make today? Here are some very useful tips for the buyers, sellers, and owners in today’s real estate market. for-sale-sign

Homeowners are starting to gain confidence in listing their homes due to the rise in traffic of buyers, and the growing popularity of bidding wars, and buyers are finally able to start searching for the perfect home again with low mortgage rates. According to CNN Money, 92 of the Country’s 100 largest metro areas have seen an increase in home prices, with costs rising as high as 23% in some cities, and 69 out of 100 of the areas also saw an increase in sales volume.

If you’re in the market to buy a home, know that you’re going to have to be competitive. Inventory is low, and doing your homework beforehand, and having all of the necessary information ready to present an offer with your agent will put you one step ahead of the game. It’s also best to understand the days of making an offer 20% below the listing price generally will not work. Presenting your best offer first will sit best with sellers, and it also helps to have a few contingencies in place, and move fast as sellers aren’t keen on having to go through the process again and again. Being flexible on closing can also work in your favor, as many sellers are scrambling to find alternative housing at the same time you are.

If you’re looking into selling your home, you’re in luck because it’s finally looking like a seller’s market! In order to get your pricing right, it’s best to list competitively to your market, and keep in mind pricing above recent sales might not get you what you’re hoping for. Many homeowners think their broker’s suggested pricing is too low, but pricing within reason will grab buyers’ attention, and land you more offers. If you’re looking into downgrading, choose an agent that is keen on investment properties. And if you’re not thinking about selling your home soon, you still take advantage of the market by taking the opportunity to refinance. It’s possible in recent years, that you haven’t enough equity to refinance the mortgage at these record low rates, but it might be time to give it another try.  Everyone can benefit in today’s market, and if you have any further real state related questions, contact your local real estate agent today.

Seattle Home Show This Weekend

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Are you thinking about updating your home, but having a difficult time coming up with savvy ideas for improvements? The Seattle Home Show is in town this weekend, and is the perfect place to gain inspiration for new home projects. The Home Show is the Northwest’s largest consumer home show with everything indoor and outdoor home related.

Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Home Show

The expo begins tomorrow at the Century Link Field Event Center, and will showcase hundreds of exhibits from builders, developers and re-modelers, with the latest models of new appliances, fixtures, and landscaping. There will be seminars throughout the weekend, and special events such as wine tasting to boot! Tickets are $10 in advance, or $12 at the door for adults,  and $7 in advance for seniors. All ticket pricing includes free parking at Century Link Field Event Center, and a free cup of F.X. McRory’s chowder. For more information on the Seattle Home Show, visit their website.

Tips For Choosing the Perfect Rental

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The Rental market has become quite competitive in recent months, with long time homeowners swiftly switching back into the renting along with prospective renters, all in search of the perfect rental. While everyone seems to be scrambling to find a home, there are a few things to keep in mind while searching for the right rental for you, before you sign the lease.

Make sure you know what you want before you go shopping. What are your personal requirements for renting? Do you need covered parking, a good pet policy, or washer and dryer in the unit? What are your wants vs needs? Make sure that you’re open to different options, and that you don’t expect the landlord to add additional amenities just for you. It’s also important to connect with the landlord; you don’t have to be best friends, but you want to make sure you’re able to have a working relationship with them. Being aware of possible scams is a good thing to keep in mind when you’re searching rentals on Craigslist, Zillow, other sites where anyone can post a listing. Don’t give financial information to just anyone, or even personal information if you don’t have legitimate information on the company or landlord first. For more information on rental listings, visit Ewing & Clark Inc.

Downtown Seattle Condos Starting to Fill Up

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Downtown Seattle Penthouse Condo Available

The past two years have not been promising for the Seattle Condo Market, and condo developers are finally starting to see a turn around in the Downtown area. According to the Seattle Times, roughly two dozen new projects were at work between 2007-2010 during big the real-estate crash. Many of those who bought the pre-sale backed out and several developers ended up converting their buildings to rental units to cater to the economy. Those who stuck it out had to slash prices, and in many cases had to lower the costs by up to 40 percent.

Today the market is starting to look more appealing and beginning to have the first signs that it will bounce back. A few good indicators include Escala raising  some of their prices; one of the largest downtown projects to date, Escala did so quietly, with the majority of their condo units selling for 99% of the asking price, they’ve begun upping the anty as their inventory gets smaller. Also of the 2,500 condo projects that have been built in downtown and surrounding areas, fewer than 250 units is left unsold. There are currently no new projects in place; most developers and lenders have put condos on hold to allow the market to recuperate. If you’re interested in learning more about finding a condo in the Seattle area, here is a list of available units.

Buying a Home Might Not Get Much Cheaper

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Many renters today are choosing to put off buying a home for several reasons, statistics show that buying a home might not get any cheaper than it is right now. Experts say that 2012 may bet the last year for buyers to take advantage of the weak housing market and foreclosure influx. According to CNN Money, home prices are down 34% Nationally from 2006, and mortgage rates are at an all time low, making it the best year yet to find the bargain deal of a lifetime.

Economists with PNC Financial Services believe that home prices will flatten out by the third quarter of this year, and might begin to climb at the beginning of next year. There are several indicators that the housing market is picking up like the decline in foreclosures, and continued job growth nationwide, and buyers will have more access to affordable mortgages as they build their credit scores. While some prospective buyers who have been wary might be more willing to follow through because of the all-time low mortgage rates and lower home values, some renters still aren’t in a position to take the next step and will ultimately miss the grace period. For more information on the housing market, click here.

Survey Shows Renters More Optimistic About Buying

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Renters in today’s market may have seen the value of their parent’s homes sky rocket, then deplete, or they most likely know someone who’s home is up for foreclosure. According to a survey done by the PulteGroup, The hope of home ownership is still in the air for many who rent and want to buy. Survey results showed that 60% of renters who said they would like to buy a home in the future have increased their intent to buy a home in comparison to a year ago. 61% of those folks also said they planned to purchase a home within the next two years.

When asked if they thought buying a home was a good investment, 44% of those poled said yes. According to Builderonline.com, the PulteGroup’s responded to the overall survey results with “We are seeing a renewed sense of optimism, especially from young professionals and young families visiting our communities nationwide,” Deborah Meyer, PulteGroup senior vice president. Many factors went into this survey and interestingly enough the pole also found that just over 1/4 of those poled believe that renting is cheaper than buying, and a little shy of a quarter are still worried about a stable job. For more information on Rentals and For Sale listings in the area, visit Craistlist.

Zillow Reports Rentals Continue to Outshine Housing Market

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According to Zillow’s Real Estate Market Report in February, the median price in rent had risen 2% since February 2011, and home values had continued to fall, dropping 4.5% during the same time period. Zillow’s Rent Index illustrated that the year over year gains for an estimated 68% of metropolitan markets measured by the ZRI, and only 8% of metro areas covered by the Zillow Home Value Indexsaw home values rise.

Seattle Rental In Leschi Neighborhood

Today’s rental market is continuing to heat up, with an emphasis on areas where home values have consistently been declining. Foreclosures have been at the forefront in keeping home values down, with foreclosure re-sales making up an  estimated 20.3% of all sales in the month of February. Zillow experts have said that we’ve made it through the worst of the housing market recession, but with the enormous inventory of foreclosures and unemployment are all still factors to overcome on the rise to recovery. For more information on rental listings in the Seattle area, visit Ewing & Clark and Craigslist.