There have been a lot of stories in recent weeks about the housing market slowing down, not just in Seattle, but across the country. I thought I would post a quick roundup of some of the stories I’m seeing…
Posts in the National category:
National News
Will the new tax laws slow Seattle’s housing market? (Part 2: New deduction limits)
Let’s finish off our discussion of how the Seattle-area real estate market may be affected next year by the changes to the tax code. In yesterday’s post we discussed the doubling of the standard deduction, and concluded that it is likely to have very little effect. Today let’s look at the other two big changes: The reduction of the mortgage interest deduction cap from $1M to $750k and the capping of local sales, income, and property tax deductions at $10k…
Will the new tax laws slow Seattle’s housing market? (Part 1: Doubled Standard Deduction)
Now that the big GOP tax plan has passed, let’s have a look at how it may affect the Seattle-area real estate market next year when it goes into effect.
There are two major changes to the tax code that will matter to home buyers and home owners: the doubling of the standard deduction (from $12,700 for a married couple in 2017 to $24,000 in 2018) and the reduction of the mortgage interest deduction cap from $1 million to $750k.
First up let’s look at the doubling of the standard deduction…
Zillow + Trulia = Love Forever
After swirling rumors and speculation last week, it is now official: Zillow and Trulia announced this morning that they will merge. Trulia shareholders will get 0.444 shares of Zillow stock (Z) for every share of Trulia stock (TRLA), making the deal worth $3.5 billion at today’s prices. I’ve never been much of a fan of […]
Thousands of Seattle Homes to End Up Literally Underwater
If you followed the news this week, you probably read that the Antarctic ice sheet is has entered an irreversible melting phase, that will eventually lead to its collapse into the ocean and an over ten feet increase in the sea level. Here’s an excerpt from the Seattle Times article about the melting Antarctic ice […]
Link Roundup: Housing Market Strength Evaporating
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a good link roundup, and since I’ve seen a number of related stories pop up in the last couple of weeks, I thought it was a good time for one. While the housing market was definitely on fire last year, with respect to bidding wars and home price […]
FHA: Foreclosure One Year Ago? No Problem!
I received tips from two different people in the last few days about a recent change in FHA underwriting standards announced in a letter titled “Back to Work – Extenuating Circumstances” Quoting from the letter: As a result of the recent recession many borrowers who experienced unemployment or other severe reductions in income, were unable […]