Refinancing & Purchasing may have just become a bit tougher In my opinion, of all the pieces written on the market, this one by syndicated columnist Ken Harney has the potential to really put the hammer down on mortgage qualifying under no-doc, low-doc or ‘stated-income’ loan products (‘oft referred to as liar loans). The impact…
Elizabeth Rhodes: Master Of Misdirection
Wow, Elizabeth Rhodes is on a real anti-bubble roll this weekend. Did one of you submit this letter to her “Home Forum” Q & A? Q: I keep reading that home prices aren’t expected to decline in the Seattle area. Aren’t you overlooking the possible effect of “suicide loans” — those adjustable-rate mortgages that are…
Seattle Light On ‘Flipping’
An oft-cited argument by those who believe prices in Seattle are totally justified is that the number of “investors” here is not at the level of other, more obviously bubbly cities. However, no one ever seems to be able to provide any actual statistics to back up this assertion. While it does not actually answer…
A Glimmer Of Hope?
Do you think demand for commercial space will result in a continued rise in property values in King County? Evidently, Susan Ryan at the P-I Real Estate Blog thinks so… An article in today’s PI on the institutional investor interest in Seattle, highlights one of the reasons the local residential real estate remains strong. Low…
More Homes Than They Could Afford
Seattle was mentioned today in this piece from CNNMoney. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Home price increases have slowed nationwide and even reversed in many markets. Inventories are up and new home builders are cutting back. More and more sellers are having difficulty selling their properties.…For some sellers selling their old home quickly is critical: They’ve…