Ever get the feeling that the deck is stacked against you. This Jan 31, 2012 article in the Seattle Times, Page 3, “Freddie Mac bets against struggling homeowners” justifies that feeling. If you’re self-employed, have less than 20% equity in your home, and currently have a mortgage interest rate in excess of 6%, don’t expect relief anytime soon. If you’re a …
Eastside Market Impact of Foreclosed Properties
Reading the Seattle Times Business Section article today, “HOME SALES IN KING COUNTY UP IN 2011; NOT PRICES”, I became curious as to exactly how sales of foreclosed properties are in fact impacting the King County Eastside market areas. I limited my sampling of sales data to quantities that I could handle and concluded that: 1. In various price ranges from …
Community Emergency Response Teams
Here is a link to an introductory letter about CERT, Community Emergency Response Teams. It describes the classes that are given by the Redmond Fire Department in downtown Redmond next to the Post Office. It is 2.5 hours every Wednesday evening over an 8 week period. We are fortunate to have in our midst 2 neighbors that completed this course: Nancy …
BOEING/Machinists Deal is Huge!
Folks frequently ask us, “how’s the market?” Our response is generally, “inconsistent, fits & starts, up & down”. When asked what the future holds we have responded, “it depends greatly on the local job market. If we can get an infusion of positive news in that regard, the benefits to the housing market should be felt immediately”. Today’s news that …
Get Rid Of the Negativity Already
We refuse to succumb to the relentless diatribes of agents and buyers citing every listing as “overpriced”. These lightly informed opinions have become so ubiquitous we are eliminating “what do you think of the price?” from our showing/previewing email follow-up questionnaires for all of our listings. If the answer is always the same, why ask the question? Things were quite …
Sunday Seattle Times Article Nov 20, 2011
“Potential Cures For Appraisal Headaches” by Ken Harney Yes, appraisals are a challenge these days. We have a relatively simple solution that somewhat echoes Harney’s suggestions, but from the sellers’ perspective. His is aimed at buyers. I’ll start with the most relevent/helpful info first, then explain why this process has become problematic. Out of area appraisers aka low bidder. The quick fix …
A Night to Remember
Yesterday (Sunday, Oct 30) was already a long day. The Seahawks played poorly, and I spent the day fasting in prep for a medical procedure this morning. Most of the day was enjoyably spent with my buddy Steve recording a new original song Steve had written for Campfire Boyz (http://campfireboyz.org). It was a very pleasant distraction from the Hawks’ woes on …
FREE Recycle Event Sunday, May 15th, 10:00AM – 2:00PM
LOCATION: 1200 112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 SAVE THE DATE! Windermere Bellevue Commons and 1 Green Planet are holding a special recycle opportunity for our friends, family and clients. What can you bring? *Appliances-washers,dryers,refrigerators,etc. *Electronics-TVs, stereos, etc. *Scrap Metal, Machinery-circuit boards, etc. *Computers-PCs, printers,monitors *Batteries-car,computer,etc. *Medical Equipment *Ink & Toner *Cell Phones
First Quarter of 2011 Ends With a Weird Fizzle
I should post more often. Sorry that I don’t. But when the weathervane keeps spinning as if in a hurricane, it’s difficult to gather one’s thoughts as to where the real estate market is headed. January, with a couple of mild weeks of weather, showed promise. Then the snows in February shut the door just as it was beginning to …
2011-Fast Start
It appears that 2011 is off to a more robust start than 2010, or maybe it’s just the way I feel, or maybe it’s the way you feel. This is admittedly conjecture on my part, but it feels as if everyone has a little more energy, a little more positive outlook than a year ago. Is it that the bad …