Let’s have a look at the latest data from the Case-Shiller Home Price Index. According to November data, Seattle-area home prices were: Down 0.4% October to November Up 6.0% YOY. Down 11.7% from the July 2007 peak Last year at this time prices fell 0.1% month-over-month and year-over-year prices were up 12.4%. Year-over-year price gains…
A Humorous Take on Foreign Buyers Driving Up Prices
Over in the New Yorker (where the issue of foreign buyers is more substantial than a few vague anecdotes): Stop Complaining That I, Zathbog of Planet Cibwarv, Am Inflating U.S. Housing Prices I’m told there’s a familiar narrative that unfolds whenever you try to buy property in a cosmopolitan American city these days. You find…
The Shadow Inventory Myth is Dead
A little over a year ago, I wrote a series of posts in which I argued that “shadow inventory” (foreclosed homes held off the market by the banks) was nearly non-existent. "Shadow Inventory" Conspiracy Theories Are Nonsense Shadow Inventory Gut Feelings, Rumors, & Anecdotes Undocumented Shadow Inventory Scarce in King County Despite all of the…
Foreclosures Almost Back to Pre-Bust Levels
It’s time for our detailed look at December foreclosure stats in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. First up, the Notice of Trustee Sale summary: December 2014 King: 322 NTS, down 36% YOY Snohomish: 195 NTS, down 27% YOY Pierce: 298 NTS, down 21% YOY The number of trustee sale notices was down big yet again…
How-To: Turn a 1,475 sqft Lot Into a Half-Million-Dollar Home
This was spotted by a user over on Reddit’s /r/Seattle. The images below are of 3941 South Brandon Street on Google Street View. 2008: Empty 1,475 square foot lot. 2011: Foundation 2014: 1,687 sqft, 3-bed, 2.5-bath modern home The resulting home sold last June for just under half a million dollars. Here’s the listing description:…