Finally, Loan Officers to be Licensed

Bill and DianaBuying Concerns, Financing, Personal Finance, Seattle Times Articles Leave a Comment

We have warned borrowers and clients for years that loan officers are unlicensed, and that it is very important to work with someone with very strong references. Ask a relative, a friend, a colleague, for the name of someone that they have had a positive loan experience with. Even then, ask the loan officer for additional personal references, and make …

Reining In Mortgage Interest Write-offs

Bill and DianaNews, Personal Finance, Seattle Times Articles, taxes 2 Comments

Referencing the Seattle Times article Tax-legislation Plans Bound To Surface Next Year, it is easy to at first dismiss the headline as so much typical legislative money hunting by elected officials. But upon complete review, some good points are raised by Ken Harney, syndicated columnist to The Times. Case in point: when homeowners pull more than $100,000 in equity out …

Foreclosure Investing/Seattle Times 9/9/06 Article

Bill and DianaBuying Concerns, News, Personal Finance, Seattle Times Articles, Selling Concerns Leave a Comment

Kudos to Sarah Jio for her article on foreclosure investing in the Seattle Times on Saturday, 9/9. She interviewed an experienced, successful investor who imparted some key knowledge about the process of buying and selling foreclosed homes. However, an interesting bit of advice is where the invester recommends that one should not pay more than 85% of a home’s market value …

What Are The Tax Rules On Selling Real Estate?

Bill and DianaNews, Personal Finance, Seattle Times Articles 1 Comment

We are often asked, “what is my tax liability when I sell my home?”. Also, “do I still have 2 years to purchase a replacement property?” The IRS rules were changed by Congress in 1997, but the language used has often left folks confused about this important issue. Seattle Sunday Times syndicated columnist Scott Burns [Business/Your Money] wrote an excellent …