Category: Uncategorized

I just know you’ll love this opinion piece in today’s Seattle Times: Rising interest rates have cooled the housing explosion around much of the country, but in the Puget Sound region, real estate remains king. And the queen is the over-the-top but never disappointing model home. I’m not referring to the minipalaces laid out in…

Today, the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it reached yet another settlement with a large national lender and two large builders for violating the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (RESPA). One of RESPA’s functions is to protect consumers by prohibiting kickbacks in real estate that artificially increase the premiums…

Given that one alleged reason for skyrocketing housing prices is government land use regulation, it is worth mentioning that land use restrictions in King County and across Washington State may be loosening in the coming year. In what may be an attempt to stave off the state-wide property rights initiative, the King County Executive is…

Rich Toscano, author and founder of Piggington’s Almanac for the Landed Poor, was interviewed by the LA Times in today’s piece. He is quoted on page 2 of the article. “We’ve built an entire economy on selling each other homes.” – Rich Toscano Please read the rules before posting a comment. Seattle Bubble Tip Jar

Snohomish Co. Residential sales only (only houses, no condo’s, no land)Source: NWMLS 2005:April 1283 (Median $283,250) May 1165 (Median $287,000) June 1473 (Median $295,000) 2006:April 1134 (Median $331,254) May 1133 (Median $339,950) June 1347 (Median $350,000) The rise in median prices are remarkable YOY & MOM and that’s with less sales and rising inventory in…