Five and a half years ago, I launched Seattle Bubble with a simple goal in mind: Analyze the Seattle-area residential real estate market and provide a forum for people to discuss ideas and share insights. While the housing market has had it’s ups and downs (and way downs) over the years, growth at Seattle Bubble…
Category: Features
Buy Low, Sell High. Is it possible to buy low today?
Buy low, sell high. It’s the #1 rule of investing. While buying a home is more than just an investment, it is the largest purchase most people will make in their lives, and even if you aren’t hoping to make a pile of easy money buying real estate, it’s still good to follow basic investment…
Friday Flashback: “The impossible happened.”
I received the following email totally unsolicited this week from a local agent that I sparred with a couple of times on these pages back in 2007: You were right. I was wrong. A few years ago you predicted how terrible the market would be. I doubted you. Why? Having gone through the tech led…
REO Buyers: Beware of Multiple Offer Sudden Death
If you’ve been out there trying to buy a home lately anywhere outside of central Seattle, Kirkland, Bellevue, and Redmond, chances are pretty high that you’ve encountered more than a few bank-owned (REO) homes in your search. Many of the best deals out there today can be found in REOs, especially if the buyer is…
How Are High Condo HOA Fees Justified?
I received the following question about HOA fees and typical maintenance costs from a reader via email: Why are so many condo HOA fees are so high? Alternatively: are the maintenance costs of a small single-family home (SFH) much higher than most people assume, or is the monthly fee of a well-run HOA a great…