Props to S Crow for pointing out the demise of yet another local mortgage company: Merit. Kirkland-based mortgage company Merit Financial will meet with its 300 employees this morning to let most of them go as executives decide whether to file for bankruptcy, according to two people familiar with the company’s plans. Merit Financial will…
Author: The Tim
Tim Ellis is the founder of Seattle Bubble. His background in engineering and computer / internet technology, a fondness of data-based analysis of problems, and an addiction to spreadsheets all influence his perspective on the Seattle-area real estate market. Tim also hosts the weekly improv comedy sci-fi podcast Dispatches from the Multiverse.
Home Buyers Most Interested In Thurston
Seattle has basically reached the saturation point of unaffordability. How do I know this? Because people that want to buy a home are mostly interested in the South Sound. Thurston County’s three largest cities were among the most popular destinations for home buyers in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by…
Ameriquest "cutting and running" In Puget Sound
Props to reader seattle price drop for spotting this story about Ameriquest Mortgage skipping town: A banking giant shut down all of its branches in Western Washington on Tuesday, leaving thousands of local customers in the lurch, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported. Ameriquest Mortgage is closing 229 branches nationwide, including 26 branches in Washington state….
Commission Negotiable—Shh, Don’t Tell!
Thanks to the bubble, there are real estate agents lurking under every rock, and web sites slowly creeping in on the home sales action as well. As a result, the sacred 6% commission is not so hallowed anymore: Here’s another trick of the trade: When you sell your house, tell the agent you want to…
No Family? No Equity? You’re Screwed.
Slowly but surely the downside of exploding house prices is being highlighted in our local media. Maybe not so much in Seattle proper, but at least down in Tacoma (where houses are quite a bit cheaper than in King County) the issue is being given some attention. The price of a home may be relatively…