For all the grandstanding that Seattle’s city government loves to do about "affordable housing," you would think that they would want to make it as easy as possible for builders to actually build housing. Of course, if you think that, you’re quite wrong. "We must dramatically increase access to decent, affordable housing," said Mayor Greg…
Bubble-Screening Real Estate Agents
A comment from reader seattle price drop in yesterday’s post got me thinking. In discussing what kind of research to do for an impending real estate purchase, spd suggested: Step 2) Interview several realtors. Do this with an eye to finding out who will be truthful and represent your interests well when the time comes…
Do Your Market Research
I read the a question and answer in the Everett Herald about researching the market before buying a home, and I couldn’t help but feel that the columnist’s advice was a little lacking. Question: I’m attempting to research the housing market, but I don’t want to even think about buying for at least a year…
Always Better To Own Vs. Rent?
Most readers of this blog know that renting versus owning right now is almost a no-brainer, and buying real estate in order to rent it out right now is just plain foolish. Now, I haven’t been following the commercial real estate market as closely as residential, but I would have a hard time believing that…
Caskets To Condos
Here’s a fun off-beat weekend story. Casket factory to become condo complex? While the real-estate market is cooling in some parts of the U.S., demand continues to surge in the Seattle area. That has prompted developers to step up their search for properties — even old, abandoned addresses. The North Coast Casket Factory, a red…