Gorgeous homes around $500k? Get OUT of Seattle!

This week, a real estate agent asked me to prepare some financial flyers for listings in Pierce County. The homes are stunning – I live in Seattle and cannot imagine having a large garage for our cars…although before living in Seattle, I had a sweet 2 3/4 garage.

My first home that I bought was in northeast Tacoma, literally on the county line. It was a 3 bedroom, 1 (Continental) bathroom with a large back yard. I remember being shocked at the tall homes being built squeezed in so close to our property. When  we bought this home in northeast Tacoma in the late 80’s, I had a desk job at Chicago Title in  downtown Seattle. I typically drove or took the bus to work and even then, it was well over an hour each way.  It was a long commute, however I was always so happy when I pulled into MY driveway.

My first home does not compare to the half-million plus dollar homes that I’m referencing to in this post – however, in the greater Seattle area, many of the first time homebuyers that I work with are in this price range.

The home pictured in this post is just an example of what you can buy if you expanding your options of where you buy your home. Offered at $529,950, it’s a rambler built in 2014 with a 3 car garage (drool) that has beautiful woodwork throughout.  There’s even a covered patio with an outdoor fireplace. This 3 bedroom/3 bathroom craftsman home is located in Puyallup and is about 25 minutes from the Sound Transit Station. Click here for more info (and photos) about this home.  You got to check out the bathtub in master suite!

And how about financing options? Well, I’m so glad you asked! Here are a couple scenarios to consider based on a sales price of $529,950. The rates posted are from July 19, 2017.  Click this link to get more details about the quotes listed below.

Rates are subject to credit approval and may (will) change at any time. The VA scenario is based on first time use and the VA funding fee is 2.15%. Again, this is just a small sample of what we have available. I think a piggy back mortgage would work great at this price point too. Please contact me if you would like me to prepare a quote for you with current rates for your personal scenario.

According to Zillow, there are 62 homes for sale right now in Seattle priced from $500,000 to $550,000. Most of them are half the size or are a condo compared to what you will find outside of Seattle.

PS: Don’t get me wrong. I love living in Seattle. I just think there are a lot of other areas where home buyers can get more bang for their buck.

If I can help you with getting preapproved to buy a home (or refinance) please contact me.

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