(May 2006 – that’s me removing old patio to prepare for above grade deck.) It’s Summer. Lot of projects are underway for many homeowners. For those considering homeownership, perhaps one of the strategies for buying a home is to consider a fixer. Sweat equity is one way to produce equity the old fashioned way. It…
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Real Estate Market "Magic"
This article in the Mercer Island Reporter cracked me up, if only because of the headline: Island real estate market still magic. Fewer homes have been on the market on the Island over the past six months and slightly fewer homes sold as compared to last year. Prices for those that did sell were up…
Housing Appreciation: the dirty little secret
First, I’d like to thank Tim Ellis for inviting me to discuss housing and escrow topics on this blog as a guest. Being that many readers of this blog want to demystify home ownership and aspire to become homeowners in a meaningful way, my hope is that our collective experience (wife and I) will be…
Rents Predicted To Rise… Still
A number of readers pointed out an article in yesterday’s Seattle Times about “multifamily housing” (apartments) that’s full of the usual pep-talk and rah-rah-speak claiming that prices have nowhere to go but up, up, up, and isn’t that just wonderful! With apartment vacancy rates declining and job growth increasing, real-estate investors are snapping up properties…
Balanced June Reporting Outside Seattle
Let’s not forget that you only have to look a little ways outside of the immediate Seattle area to find rational and balanced reporting on the realities of today’s real estate market. “We’re seeing a consistent trend here, a flattening of the market,” he said. “It (the strong housing market) hasn’t come to an end…