King 5 News reports on a home-buying scheme that has ensnared at least a few unsuspecting victims: Imagine buying a home and moving in, only to find out later that the house was never yours at all. It’s a mortgage scheme that’s caused financial pain and heartache for many families in Western Washington. It’s a…
An Anecdotal Update (Or Two)
I noticed on my drive home from work one day last week that the for sale signs had come down from in front of the million-dollar new construction on Avondale. Recall that just under a month ago, the price was dropped (again) to $1,275,000. So did the house sell, or are they just taking it…
Seattle Bubble Stats: Where are the Condos?
The question was asked on my number-crunching post last week of why I do not include condos in most of the statistics that I post here. Since that is a valid question that other people may be wondering as well, I thought I would post the answer where it will gain more visibility. I choose…
New Number Crunching: Price Breakdowns
With great thanks to Alan (aka PugetHouse), I have added a new weapon to Seattle Bubble’s statistical war chest: price breakdowns.* It is fairly common knowledge that although it is the most convenient indicator to discuss, the median sales price does not give a very complete picture of the changing housing market. Price breakdowns, i.e….
The Monthly Payment Buyer
The excellent personal finance blog Get Rich Slowly (highly recommended—one of my daily reads) posted a link yesterday that reminded me of a topic that I’ve been meaning to post on. As I read the story, titled “Cars affordability: Cheapest since 1980” I couldn’t help but think about the stark contrast between the price trends…