In late January, my husband and I packed up our Ford Lightning and headed south on an impromptu road trip with two goals: travel as much of the coast as possible, and make it to Palm Desert in time to watch the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. (Mission accomplished on both counts.)
After sharing a few highlights in a recent client mailer, several of you asked for the full itinerary — so here it is. Whether you’re planning your own Pacific Coast drive or just enjoy a good road trip story, I hope this is helpful.
A note: we intentionally avoided I-5 as much as possible, opting for Highway 1 along the coast. It adds time but the scenery is incomparable. [Read more…]
One of the most common ways home buyers get help with a down payment is through gift funds from family members. If your parents, grandparents, or other relatives want to help you buy a home, gift funds can be a legitimate and well-documented source of funds for down payment and closing costs — as long as you follow the rules.
Credit score is one of the first things buyers worry about when they start thinking about a mortgage — and for good reason. It affects what programs you qualify for, what interest rate you receive, and in some cases how your entire application is evaluated. But the relationship between credit score and mortgage qualification is more nuanced than most people realize, and it’s changing.
Freddie Mac’s Bulletin 2026-1 brings a meaningful change for buyers and homeowners in the greater Seattle area. Starting with applications dated April 12, 2026, high balance conforming loans are no longer eligible under the Home Possible program. For homebuyers in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, this change directly affects your low-down-payment options on higher-priced homes.
