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 …
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 …
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 …
It’s been quite a year…
200 9. That was a year full of challenges and changes. I stopped blogging about this time last year as it became apparent that I could no longer anticipate with any degree of accuracy what would occur next. Anticipating what real estate and financial markets will do is an important service that I provide to my clients. In the turmoil …
The Fixx (not the band)
An idea came to me yesterday while reading and listening to various opinions and objections regarding the stimulus package. It seems there is a consensus of concern about how to use the money to make the most immediate positive impact on the economy. How do we get it into the system WITHOUT the banks snagging it and sitting on it? …
OUR FUTURE BANKERS
Here they are, our State Representatives. “The Cop”, “The Mom in Tennis Shoes”, and “Whatever, I Need to Work Somewhere”. I’ve tried to locate the email addresses for these folks on-line to no avail. What they offer is a form on their respective pages to be filled out, along with a message, and sent into the ether with the hope that …
Damn Banks or…..Why Is it Taking So Long To Recover?
How do banks make money? They make loans. What if they don’t make loans? They sit on the money they have. What if they don’t have money to sit on? They threaten to fail and the Federal Government gives them money to sit on OR they “arrange” a managed failure with the help of the Federal Government, in the course …
Happy New Year 2009
So arrives another new year. Live your life! As 2008 closed out amidst concern, if not angst, over the economic turmoil that has consumed our collective national consciousness, I am perplexed. Is it the power of the media that has us running for cover….because it tells us to? Granted, major financial institutions and auto manufacturers failing is going to grab …
Seller Responsibility: Clean the House and Take Your Junk!
What is it with Sellers that think it is OK to leave all kinds of garbage behind for their Buyers to deal with? We’ve seen it all, from engine blocks to garbage bags filled with used diapers. A favorite is old paint cans with colors that haven’t been used in the house in 20 years, or old broken hollow-core doors …