Daniel Billett of Response Mortgage in Seattle plans to refinance as soon as the new loan limits are confirmed. The Saturday Seattle Times featured a cover story by Katie Hafner of the New York Times concerning the Federal stimulus packagerecently signed into law. (For some reason, the Seattle Time’s on-line version is not available, so this link takes you to …
Should Sellers Do A Pre-Inspection?
There was a brief and nominally informative article in the Sunday Seattle Times: Sellers should consider paying for inspection early in process One of our most important responsibilities as listing agents is carefully reviewing the “Seller Disclosure Statement“, also referred to as “Form 17“. It is a requirement in the State of Washington that this form be completed by just about every …
Lending Supply and Demand
If you were among the multitudes calling your lender last week when mortgage rates dropped, you may also have been disappointed when you finally got through. On the heels of the FED’s historic 3/4 point rate reduction mortage rates temporarily dropped to as low as 5.125%. [See the LA Times Article “Interest-rate drop spurs frenzy of refinancing calls”.] But something …
Diana’s Opinion Published in the Seattle Times
The “Letters To The Editor” section of the January 19 edition of the Seattle Times featured Diana MacDonald’s opinion regarding Elizabeth Rhode’s prior article “RealEstate Anxiety: What’s Next in ’08?” from Dec 30, ’07, which I also panned here under the title “Not The Sharpest Tool” (see Selling Concerns under categories, about 3 articles down from the top). Read Diana’s published opinion, …
HOTEL?
Think “hotel” when fixing up your home to sell. What an awesome concept! I sure wish I had thought if it, but credit goes to others from this article in the Sunday Times. What a wonderfully simple concept to convey to our clients. For years we have tried different explanations, often getting puzzled looks in the process. Who hasn’t stayed …
Not The Sharpest Tool….
Did you see the Sunday Seattle Times front page article by Elizabeth Rhodes? This condo owner, Paul Kelly, that is crying the blues over his inability to unload his $639,900 condo is NOT typical, as Ms. Rhodes would lead Times readers to believe. His situation is an anomaly, due almost entirely to his own folly, not the current real estate market …
Dangers of Misinformation About Buyer Agency….
The Seattle Times lay-ed an unfortunate egg last Saturday when it elected to reprint a column by Washington Post syndicated columnist Mary Ellen Slater entitled: “Factors to weigh before choosing a buyer’s agent”. Before jumping into this, I suggest reviewing the Washington State pamphlet: “The Law of Real Estate Agency”. There are parts of this article that are simply not true …
Thank You Mortgage Professor!
If it hasn’t happened to you, perhaps it has happened to someone you know. While interviewing potential lenders, whether to refinance or buy a new home, it is puzzling at best to discern what the various quotes mean. For example: (1) why is an interest lock free at one lender, but costs 1/4 pt (.25%) at another?; (2) why is the interest rate …
Seattle Times Saturday Headline: “Let The Buyer Rejoice” Oct 6, 2007
For the full text of the article referenced here, use THIS LINK. The focus of the story is the the sea change in the local real estate market. I don’t know if there is much for buyers to rejoice, other than the fact that there are more choices than there have been. But buyers have to be patient and smart …
Important Loan Tips For Owners and Buyers
Sometimes the best information regarding real estate is in the Saturday editions of the Seattle Times, rather than Sunday. This week there were two helpful articles, one for owners with adjustable rate mortgages and one for prospective buyers providing tips on getting ready to apply for a new mortgage. If you have an ARM that is poised to reset it is …